Heartbreaking footage emerged showing Shakira storming off stage on Saturday night (September 14) after fans seemed to attempt to film up her dress.
Part of human decency suggests you shouldn’t do this, but unfortunately, it still happens, particularly when the person is a celebrity, as many of us ‘common folk’ tend to dehumanize them.
Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like this was a paid-for event to see the ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ songstress, but still, kudos to her for standing up against such inappropriate behavior.
The 47-year-old took to the stage at the prestigious nightclub LIV Miami, in Florida, to promote her new single ‘Soltera’, which is expected to be released by the end of the year.
Footage of the incident that caused Shakira to leave the stage was captured by attendees.
The video shows Shakira dancing on a small stage in a gold sequin dress, performing her signature moves.
While she entertained her fans—most of whom had their cameras on her—she seemed to notice one that was filming at an inappropriate angle.
Shakira then signaled to the person behind the lens to focus on her face rather than her private areas, seemingly giving them a warning as she continued to dance.
A few dance moves later, she noticed the same person lowering the camera to record under her dress, at which point she held the front and back of her minidress and stormed off stage to the VIP section.
Defending Shakira on Twitter, one fan wrote: “Shakira can’t even enjoy and dance to her OWN song like??”
Another added: “Why do creepy men ruin eVERYTHING.”
A third person commented on social media: “That’s truly disappointing behavior. Artists deserve respect and privacy, both on and off stage. It’s crucial to ensure a safe environment for everyone.”
In Florida, filming up someone’s skirt is illegal and falls under the crime of voyeurism.
Lawyer Robert David Malove notes on his website: “Florida Statute 810.145 makes it illegal to secretly record or broadcast someone in an intimate state for reasons of personal interest or sexual gratification.
“Personal interest could include amusement, entertainment, profit, or degradation of the victim (such as ‘upskirting’ or installing a hidden camera in someone’s bedroom).
“If your voyeurism offense included a phone, camera, or another imaging device to record the victim’s private areas, you would face enhanced criminal penalties.”