Harry Styles performed at the Hollywood Bowl for CBS’s Breast Cancer Awareness benefit on Saturday night. However, his high-energy performance is not the reason that he’s in the headlines today. Instead, Harry Styles has been trending for allegedly getting sexually assaulted during his set.
During a performance of his song, “Kiwi,” Harry was groped onstage by a member of the crowd, according to E! Online. The incident was caught on tape by several different fans, from several different angles. In the videos, Harry Styles can be seen kneeling down and pumping his arms in front of a group of fans. While there, a girl, who hasn’t been identified, can be seen reaching out and grabbing at his private area.
Harry then appears to push her hand away and retreat to the back of the stage. An eyewitness who spoke to Yahoo UK claims that Harry avoided the section of the stage where the girl was sat for the rest of the night.
Naturally, the viral videos have ensnared Harry Styles fanbase, and now they’re speaking out. Shortly after the news started circulating, thousands of Harry Style’s fans worked collectively to trend #RespectHarry on Twitter and other social media channels.
If you delve into the trend, you’ll find scores of fans and even some non-fans condemning the girl who groped Harry and offering the singer emotional support.
A common theme among many of the Tweets is also condemnation for society’s handling of male sexual assault victims. According to some of the Tweeters, males are not taken as seriously as their female counterparts when it comes to being sexually assaulted. It’s because of what they feel is a double standard that this girl even felt comfortable enough to grope Harry. Had this been a female celebrity, the perpetrator wouldn’t have felt as emboldened, say some of the Tweeters.
