Kesha performs with a knife
- During a Lollapalooza festival performance, Kesha waved a knife during a song.
- The knife was thrust in the air toward one of her dancers.
- The act added a dramatic element to her performance.
During her performance of "Backstabber" at the Lollapalooza festival on Thursday, pop star Kesha created a stir by wielding what she believed to be a prop knife. In a surprising turn of events, it was later revealed that the knife was actually a real butcher's blade, reportedly taken from the kitchen. Kesha took to X to express her shock, stating, "sooooo apparently the prop knife went missing and they replaced it with a real butcher knife stolen from the kitchen," adding that she was unaware of the switch until after the show. The incident drew immediate backlash on social media, with many users labeling Kesha's actions as "unprofessional." Comparisons were made to other controversial moments in pop culture, including Britney Spears dancing with knives and the tragic accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins involving Alec Baldwin. The lack of clarity regarding who was responsible for the knife swap has left fans and commentators questioning the safety protocols in place during live performances. In a light-hearted response to the uproar, Kesha later shared a photo of herself holding the knife mid-performance, jokingly captioning it as her "new dating app profile pic." She also posted additional images from the show on Instagram, including one featuring the knife prominently. Lollapalooza, a four-day music festival held annually in Chicago, featured Kesha on its opening night, which was headlined by Megan Thee Stallion and Hozier. As of now, Kesha's team has not provided any further comments regarding the incident.