ORIGINAL STORY:
Britney Spears’ return to her “Piece of Me” Las Vegas residency show at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Wednesday night was interrupted when a man rushed the stage, leading to a scare for the star.
E! News reported that Spears was performing a version of her 1999 single "(You Drive Me) Crazy" when a man rushed the stage. The singer's backup dancers formed a barrier between the man and the star as security stepped in.
During the breakdown of the song, the music paused and Spears asked fans, "Are you having fun?" Facing the crowd, her back was turned to the man. Video from TMZ shows Spears asking, "What's going on?" as three security surrounded her onstage,
The security guards appeared to let Spears know what was going on. Video shows her knees buckle as she clutches a security guard, saying, “He’s got a gun?”
The singer’s mic feed was cut and she was escorted off stage. Fans shouted, “We love you!” at the star as she was taken backstage.
Billboard reported that another video shows the man being held down by some male dancers and security while he's being handcuffed.
Fans chanted expletives at the man as he was taken out of the venue.
KTNV reported that, according to fans at the show, the singer later returned to the stage to finish her set without further incident.
Concertgoer Jonathan Groce told Entertainment Tonight Spears returned to the audience after a few minutes, asking fans, "Do you want to hear one more?"
“The lights came back on and people started screaming their heads off,” Groce said. “Britney was very professional and continued on like nothing happened.”
Spears’ return to her residency comes after she took a break to do a summer tour in Asia.
According to TMZ, citing unnamed law enforcement sources, the man who crashed the stage was asked by security to leave the crowd when he was acting disorderly. He crashed the stage as he left and was tackled. There were no weapons on him.
Representatives for Spears, the Las Vegas Police Department and Planet Hollywood have not commented on the incident.
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