Singer Monica Shares Why She Jumped Off Stage Mid-Concert to Help Fan Being Assaulted

A video of R&B star Monica jumping off stage to help a woman being hit by a man went viral this past weekend, and now she's speaking out about what happened.

The incident took place at the Hart Plaza in Detroit, Michigan, on Saturday night, where Monica was headlining the Riverfront Music Festival. The video shows Monica onstage interrupting her set to tell a male concertgoer, "Don't you hit her like that."

The "Boy Is Mine" singer shared her view of the situation in a new interview with the Hollywood Reporter.

"There was an altercation in the audience between a man and woman that I could tell from my viewpoint onstage," Monica explained on Monday. "It was heating up as I was attempting to get security's attention to ask them to de-escalate it, and unfortunately, they weren't able to fully understand what I was asking them to do."

That frustration led to her taking action. She can be seen jumping off the stage, closely followed by her security, and can be heard saying, "You don't hit no f---ing lady like that!" She then instructed security to escort the man out of the venue.

Once she returned to the stage, Monica reportedly apologized to the audience. "That sh-- triggered me. I seen him punch that lady in the face, I lost my f---in' temper. I apologize y'all. I apologize from the bottom of my heart."

The singer echoed that same sentiment to THR. "It was very triggering for me to see a woman be assaulted by a man. But I thank God that we were able to prevent it from going further than it did and everyone made it home safe." Monica concluded, "It was only in my mind to protect and serve and be there for this woman that I could see from the stage."

Following the incident, a spokesperson for the Riverfront Music Festival thanked Monica for her bravery. "We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Monica for her courage and decisive intervention during an unfortunate incident at our Festival,” the representative told Detroit Metro Times in a statement. "Her actions demonstrated a commitment to the safety and respect of her fans, reinforcing our belief that she is not just an extraordinary talent, but an extraordinary individual as well."

If you or someone you know has been a victim of domestic violence, help is available 24 hours a day through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.