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So You Think You Can Dance star suffers ‘acid attack’ in London during livestream

Dancer shared footage of the ordeal on social media

Nicole Vassell
Friday 12 April 2024 09:20 EDT
Dancer Korra Obidi suffered an ‘acid attack’ in London
Dancer Korra Obidi suffered an ‘acid attack’ in London (Instagram / Korra Obidi)

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A dancer who appeared on the hit US programme So You Think You Can Dance says she was the victim of a hit-and-run acid attack while in London.

Korra Obidi, a Nigerian dancer and singer, was admitted to the hospital on Thursday (11 April) after what was feared to be a corrosive substance was thrown in her face.

According to Obidi, who appeared on the 2019 series and impressed viewers by auditioning while pregnant, the attacker also brandished a knife and slashed her hand.

The performer was in the process of livestreaming to fans at the time of the incident. In a video posted to Instagram, Obidi is seen reacting to the apparent acid attack.

“My face is burning, can I have some Coke to wash it please?” she asks a companion. Obidi then pours some of the drink into her palm before splashing it on her face.

Later, the camera focuses on a yellow kitchen knife with what appears to be blood on the blade. The clip then shows Obidi being treated by an emergency responder who sprays her with a solution on her back as another gives her an eye wash.

In the caption of the video, Obidi wrote: “Currently in an ambulance to the hospital, there was a knife, acid attack on me in the UK in the middle of a live stream.

“There’s been a lot of hate in the past but this physical assault is a wake-up call.”

In the comments, Obidi provided an update on her condition and reassured her supporters of her good health. “Guys I’m in the hospital. Safety with travel is no longer a luxury but [a] necessity. The acid was salicylic and I was lucky. Love you guys.”

Obidi’s sister Nancy Umeh also shared her account of the incident, writing in an Instagram Story: “They poured acid on my sister's face. They threatened to stab her all over her body. They have stabbed her on her hands just outside her Airbnb in Westminster, London.”

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: “Officers attended and found a woman in her 30s with a cut to her hand and reporting a liquid had been thrown at her face.

“She was taken to hospital for treatment. The liquid was later confirmed to be a non-noxious cosmetic item.”

In a statement to The Independent, Obidi said: “I am recovering well as I escaped with the best possible scenario. Grateful.”

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