Sam Smith was harassed and called a “pedophile” while walking in New York City Wednesday (Feb. 15).
Video of an unknown woman targeting Smith, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, went viral on Twitter.
In the clip, the bystander relentlessly harasses Smith, who ignores her shouting and continues walking.
The woman calls Smith “evil,” “demonic,” “twisted” and “sick,” as well as several other expletives.
“You belong in hell! … Leave the kids alone, you sick f—er! … Grooming the kids!” she can be heard screaming, just before another voice appears to shout, “Illuminati!”
Watch the upsetting clip below.
Warning: Video contains graphic language.
The viral tirade is the latest attack against LGBTQ+ people that weaponizes so-called fears of pedophilia without proof in an effort to demonize and further stigmatize queer people.
According to the ADL:
Far-right and extremist voices have launched a significant attack against the LGBTQ+ community in 2021-2022, demonizing people via repeated false claims that LGBTQ+ people are ‘pedophiles’ who are ‘grooming’ children in order to abuse them. This false and malicious narrative has been weaponized to label the LGBTQ+ community as ‘groomers’ and has fueled a slew of hostile legislation and policies aimed at erasing the discussion of LGBTQ+ related issues in schools, removing LGBTQ+ books from schools and public libraries and, especially, to ostracize, defame and harass transgender people.
On Twitter, fans reacted to the vile display of harassment with horror.
“Absolutely disgusting how people behave,” one user wrote.
“The performance wasn’t even that demonic lmao y’all need to chill out i love that sam is bothering you all that means they’re doing it right,” another tweeted, referencing Smith and Kim Petras‘ 2023 Grammy Awards performance.
During the awards show, the pair performed their smash hit “Unholy” while Smith was dressed as a devil and Petras danced in a cage.
According to Tyla, the performance received at least 18 FCC complaints, which could lead to a lawsuit.
However, Smith and Petras’ Grammys performance isn’t their only performance that has drawn recent criticism.
The pair also performed their collaboration at the 2023 BRIT Awards, where they wore black leather outfits.
In total, the performance sparked over 100 Ofcom [communications regulator] complaints in the U.K., according to NME. It’s unclear what part of the performance triggered viewers to complain.