Lady Gaga was informed about the supposed bomb threat at her concert in Brazil through news coverage, according to her spokesperson.
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According to reports, two individuals were taken into custody in connection with an alleged bomb threat just hours before Lady Gaga’s concert in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, May 3.
Two individuals have been arrested in connection with an alleged bomb threat during Lady Gaga’s record-breaking concert in Rio de Janeiro, according to reports.
A man and a teenager were detained just hours before Gaga’s free performance at Copacabana Beach on Saturday, May 3, over an alleged plan to target Brazil’s LGBTQ+ community with explosives, The Guardian reported, citing the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro.
A spokesperson for the 39-year-old singer confirmed that Lady Gaga was unaware of the supposed bomb threat until it was reported by the media, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
“We learned about the alleged threat through media coverage this morning,” Gaga’s representative stated. “Before and during the event, there were no known safety issues, nor any communication from the police or authorities warning Lady Gaga about any potential danger.”
The spokesperson further emphasized that Gaga’s team worked closely with law enforcement throughout the planning and execution of the concert, with all parties confident in the safety measures that had been put in place.
Gaga performed to an estimated crowd of 2.5 million people at her Rio de Janeiro concert on Saturday, making it her largest audience to date and setting the record for the highest-attended concert by a female artist in history. The performance proceeded without incident, despite the alleged bomb threat that had raised concerns for concertgoers’ safety.
On Sunday, May 4, the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro held a press conference revealing that the two individuals arrested had been working together to “recruit” people at the concert to carry out coordinated attacks using “homemade explosives.” The suspects were reportedly targeting Brazil’s LGBTQIA+ community.
According to CNN News 18, the police stated, “Since Monday, our police and intelligence had received information about a plan on digital platforms to carry out a bomb attack using homemade explosives, including Molotov cocktails, during Lady Gaga’s concert on May 3, primarily aimed at the LGBTQIA+ community.”
The alleged leader of the group was arrested on charges of illegal weapons possession, while the teenager was taken into custody on charges of child pornography. The arrests followed a police raid at 15 locations in an effort to apprehend the group, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Rio police chief, Luiz Lima, stated that the group spread hate speech and violent content online, “aimed at gaining notoriety to attract more participants – the majority of whom were teenagers, with many being children,” according to The Guardian.
After her Rio concert on Saturday, Lady Gaga shared her thoughts on Instagram the following day: “Nothing could prepare me for the feeling I had during last night’s show — the absolute pride and joy I felt singing for the people of Brazil. The sight of the crowd during my opening songs took my breath away … your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historical moment with you.”