Miranda Lambert divides fans after halting concert to reprimand girls taking selfies

Miranda Lambert has stirred controversy among her fanbase after she stopped her concert to chastise two fans for taking a selfie during her live performance.

In a viral TikTok video posted on Sunday (16 July), the country singer can be seen on stage at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino’s Bakkt Theater at her Las Vegas residency, preparing to sing her song 2016 “Tin Man”.

However, just as she finishes singing the first verse, Lambert, 39, abruptly announces: “I’m gonna stop right here for a sec.”

After apologising to her pianist, she points to the front of the audience, saying: “These girls are worried about their selfie and not listening to the song, it’s pissing me off a little bit.

“Sorry, I don’t like it at all. We’re here to hear some country music tonight. I’m singing some country damn music,” she adds. “Shall we start again?”

As Lambert proceeds to restart the song with cheers from the audience, the footage captures a woman leaving her seat, saying: “Come on, let’s go. You don’t do that to fans.”

Several other fans commented on the video in solidarity with the concertgoer’s early exit.

“Yeah I would’ve left, f*** that. They paid to be there. If you don’t want pictures then don’t allow phones. That’s ridiculous!” one responded.

“I love Miranda, but what?!” a second wrote, with a third agreeing: “I love her but this really pissed me off.”

“Is she going to call people out for going to the bathroom too? That was so uncalled for…if I paid…I will take as many pics as I want,” another added.

Others, however, commended Lambert, with one writing: “I would want someone to pay attention to me singing too if I was giving my all.”

“Good for Miranda. This song is so special and beautiful,” another said.

The Independent has contacted Lambert’s representative for comment.

The “I’ll Be Lovin’ You” singer’s outburst comes amid a string of incidents involving live performers and concertgoers.

In June, Bebe Rhexa was performing in New York when a phone flew through the air from the crowd and hit her in the face.

Afterward, she was taken to hospital where she received stitches above her left eye and later shared a selfie on Instagram with a black eye and medical tape over her left eyebrow.

Just a week later, “Sweet But Psycho” singer Max was accosted during a concert in Los Angeles by a stage invader who slapped her in the face.

In London, Pink was left speechless after a fan threw a plastic bag containing their mother’s ashes onto the stage. She also received a large wheel of French Brie from another fan.

Country pop singer Kelsea Ballerini was also hit in the eye by a bracelet during a concert in Idaho.