Video of Beyoncé Fan Appearing to Get 'Punched' at Concert Goes Viral

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Footage of a man seemingly getting punched for yelling during a Beyoncé gig has received over 1.8 million views online.

The video was shared to X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, by user danny (@beyoncegarden) and appears to have been filmed at the singer's concert in Houston, Texas, on September 25.

The clip shows the crowd suddenly going silent as part of the "mute challenge." After Beyoncé sings the line "Big wave in the room, the crowd gon' move / Look around, everybody on mute," during her song "Energy," the audience is expected to go silent, but one rowdy fan decided not to take part.

Beyoncé, July 2023
Beyoncé performs onstage at PGE Narodowy on June 27, 2023, in Warsaw, Poland. The reported punch took place during the "mute challenge," in which fans are expected to remain silent for eight seconds during the... Kevin Mazur/WireImage

The camera scans the crowd, but a man in the row behind the poster suddenly hoots. They turn towards the sound just in time to see a woman's arm swing back and a man appearing to grab his nose in pain. The man standing in the middle of the pair looks stunned, but begins to laugh.

"Not somebody finally [getting] whacked for not going mute," wrote danny alongside the video, which has received more than 30,000 likes and over 5,000 reposts. Newsweek has reached out to danny for comment.

The video was reposted by @BuzzingPop with the caption: "A concert-goer appears to get punched after yelling during Beyoncé's mute challenge at the Renaissance show," where it received an additional 2.8 million views.

Some Beyoncé fans applauded the woman for her alleged hit, with juaan writing: "Deserved."

"When the queen says stfu you stfu," said Mona De Janeiro.

"We all learned cause and effect in reading class, why are people shocked? This is the perfect example!" commented Jourdan.

"People who purposely scream to ruin everybody's experience deserves this," said Madboy, while Steven joked: "You got the attention you were so desperately craving! Congrats but at what cost?"

However, others slammed the woman, with Double D Katy writing: "I would be on the phone with the police filing a report."

"Yes it's hella corny to scream but to get physical over what's supposed to be a fun challenge is insane! You think Beyoncé really care about this that much for yall to be tussling?" said Autry Tha Kid.

"Cult behavior," wrote James David Dickinson, while Gavin commented: "This person should press charges."

"If you get this upset over a SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGE to where you are punching strangers, you are a danger to yourself and others around you," he said.

Beyoncé, May 2023
Beyoncé performs onstage during the Renaissance World Tour at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 30, 2023, in London, England. The Renaissance World Tour has added $90 million to the singer's net worth. Kevin Mazur/WireImage

The "mute challenge" has been a fixture during The Renaissance Tour, which began in May and ends in October. Spanning Europe and North America, the 56-date tour has added an estimated $90 million to the 42-year-old singer's personal fortune, taking it to $540 million, according to Forbes.

Beyoncé fans are known for their dedication to the former Destiny's Child star. Known as the "BeyHive," the fanbase's behavior was the inspiration for the psychological thriller Swarm. Released in March 2023, the seven-episode series stars Dominique Fishback as a music fan who becomes obsessed with her favorite singer, going to extreme lengths to please her.

Upon the release of the album Renaissance last July, fans mobbed Kelis' Instagram account, after the 44-year-old criticized Beyoncé. The singer-songwriter accused Beyoncé of sampling one of her tracks without consent, leading fans to post negative comments on her posts.

Legendary songwriter Diane Warren received similar backlash from the BeyHive, after wondering how Beyoncé's song "Alien Superstar" could have 24 writers.

About the writer

Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and TV, trending news and the entertainment industry. She has covered pop culture, women's rights and the arts extensively. Sophie joined Newsweek in 2022 from Social Change UK, and has previously written for The Untitled Magazine, The Mary Sue, Ms. Magazine and Screen Rant. She graduated with a BA Honours in Fine Art from Birmingham City University and has an MA in Arts Journalism from the University of Lincoln. Languages: English.

You can get in touch with Sophie by emailing s.lloyd@newsweek.com.


Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more