Miranda Lambert hasn’t shied away from her decision to call out a fan, despite facing widespread criticism for her actions. Currently performing in Las Vegas, the country star made headlines again after abruptly stopping her show last week to reprimand an audience member.
While singing her hit “Tin Man,” Lambert reportedly noticed a fan taking a “selfie” mid-performance. Rather than ignore it, Lambert halted the show and called out the fan, making her feelings clear to the entire crowd.
“I’m going to pause for a moment,” Lambert stated, directing her comments to the fan. She asked her to put down her phone, emphasizing that fans should focus on the music rather than snapping selfies. “I’m a bit annoyed that these ladies are more focused on their selfie than listening to the song,” she continued. “Sorry, but I’m not a fan of it. We’re here to enjoy some country music, and that’s what I’m performing tonight.”
After her words, Lambert resumed her performance as the fan put her phone away, drawing applause from some members of the audience who appeared to agree with her stance on “selfie-takers.”
However, Lambert didn’t stop there. During her next performance, she noticed another fan in the crowd wearing a shirt that read, “Shoot tequila, not selfies.” Lambert seemed to appreciate the message, pointing out the shirt to the audience and adding with a laugh, “I didn’t make it; she did!”
Yet, Lambert’s actions have only fueled the backlash further. “It’s unbelievable that she’s responding this way to her fans,” one critic commented. Another social media user expressed frustration, saying, “She could have joked around or taken the selfie and encouraged them to live in the moment instead of shaming them. Not cool.”
Many fans believe a concert should be an opportunity to create memories, and taking photos is part of that experience. “The purpose of attending a concert is to make memories. Anyone should be able to take a quick picture to remember the moment,” a Twitter user shared.
The fan at the center of the incident, Adela Calin, has since posted the photos she took before Lambert’s reprimand. When asked how long they spent taking the photos, Calin replied, “It was about 30 seconds before we were ready to sit back down.” However, Lambert’s response made it clear she didn’t approve of even that brief distraction. Calin later shared how the public criticism felt, comparing it to a teacher scolding a student in front of the class.
“It felt like being back in school, with a teacher telling me to sit down and stop misbehaving,” Calin recalled. “It seemed like she wanted to portray us as young, vain, and immature. But we’re just women in our 30s to 60s trying to capture a memory.