What you need to know:
- Miley Cyrus was grabbed by a fan who tried to kiss her.
- Online users blamed the singer for the incident, stating that she was asking for it based on her choice of clothes.
- Cyrus took to Twitter to discuss consent.
American singer Miley Cyrus took to social media to speak out against a man who forcibly grabbed her, following a festival performance in Barcelona, Spain, last weekend.
Cyrus shared a video of the incident on twitter, with the caption: “She can be wearing what she wants.... She can be with her husband. She can be with her girlfriend.... She CAN’T be grabbed without her consent....”
The tweet received more than 100,000 retweets and 413,000 likes. The video clip was watched more than 5 million times. Cyrus responded to the incident after online users trolled the singer, claiming she was responsible for the attack because of the kind of clothes she was wearing.
She shared a screenshot of comments she had received after the incident took place.
Outraged fans were quick to take Cyrus’ side in the matter, which started a debate on the importance of consent and whether women who have been in similar incidents were “asking for it”.
Many said that in addition to being grabbed, the Disney Channel star was also “groped” by the unidentified man.
In the video, Cyrus is seen walking behind her husband, actor Liam Hemsworth, as they made their way through a crowd. A man suddenly grabs Cyrus by her hair, and kissed her forcibly. Security officials were quick to react and pulled the stranger away from the celebrity. Cyrus then moved in front of Hemsworth who was unaware that the attack took place.
Twitter users applauded Cyrus’ for her stand on the matter. The 26-year-old was praised for standing up for her rights, and the rights of other women, raising the point that touching anyone without their consent is not acceptable.
On social media, people referred to her as the “queen of feminism”, of this generation. One tweep even compared Cyrus to American feminist journalist Gloria Steinem.
Tweep @TheLilPoundCake posted: “Pay close attention: This woman is sounding the alarm on women’s rights and will not be ignored. She’s using her art form to bring attention. Miley is our generation’s Gloria Steinem!”
Tweep @unholyari said: “I love you, I’m so sorry this happened.”
@Mileyspawn tweeted: “You need better security. This could have been so dangerous... we love you”
@MySmilerSide posted on Twitter: “Amen. You deserve the respect you give and it’s RUDE to not understand personal space.”
The incident was talked about by international media agencies.
Cyrus released a new extended play record (EP), titled “She is Coming” on May 31, 2019, sparking rumours that the singer might be going on tour.
