‘Incredible!’ CNN’s Abby Phillip Asks Pop Star Monica About Stunning Moment She Went Into Crowd To Stop Assault
CNN anchor Abby Phillip asked R&B star Monica about the “incredible” moment — caught on video — when she went into the crowd to stop an alleged assault in the middle of her concert.
The singer went viral this weekend when she jumped off the stage into the crowd to stop a woman from being assaulted at the Riverfront Music Festival in Detroit. The singer said she saw a man punch a woman in the face and felt propelled to action.
On Monday night’s edition of CNN Primetime, Phillip played the stunning clip, then asked the superstar to take viewers inside that moment:
PHILLIP: That remarkable moment, that altercation was Saturday night and it was caught on tape. It’s now gone viral on social media. And Monica is here with us and she joins me now. Monica, really, I mean I watched it this weekend and I was like, wow. It’s incredible to see you make the decision to do that. What made you jump off that stage? What did you see?
MONICA, GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING ARTIST: Honestly, that was just instincts. And I know that people don’t have the opportunity to know us personally or on a personal level, but the few that do know that everything for me is a matter of the heart. It’s a matter of — I’m a mom, I’m a sister, I am a mother. I’ve said mom. I am — I’m so many things that would allow someone to want to protect me. Simply put, I didn’t want to see her hurt or harmed and her not make it back home after coming just to be a concert-goer for myself and Ashanti who was also on the show.
You know, these concerts have become what almost feels like a dangerous space and place and I just really want that to change. So, that was just my instincts kicked in. I do not feel like I’m some form of superhero in any facet, but I did what I would hope that someone would do if they saw that happening to my aunt or mother. I could tell that she was — she’s definitely my elder. And there was a level of fear there for me, just watching what appeared to be a situation that could have been escalated even further. I was simply trying to de- escalate it.
PHILLIP: When you jumped down there, you confronted the man who you saw allegedly doing this. What did you say to him?
MONICA: No, it was more so, and I know these different views and videos, I’m still getting used to the idea of things going viral because in moments like such, you don’t think about that. I am from an era that is pre-internet, so none of that crossed my mind. What I was attempting to do was to get security who was standing there. I don’t think they were able to hear or understand me asking them to remove them especially once the situation started to transpire.
So, for me, it was all instinct. It was simply just a matter of the heart. I didn’t want to see her hurt. I didn’t want to see her hit again. I didn’t want them fighting. I’m a firm believer that all parties should keep their hands to themselves. Women shouldn’t hit men. Men definitely shouldn’t hit women because at the end of the day, we don’t have, there’s no win for us with them. They’re naturally stronger.
Watch above via CNN Primetime.
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