Nickelback fan says she was groped and punched at Vancouver concert
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A woman who attended the Nickleback concert last week said a man allegedly physically assaulted her after she and her friend confronted him for unwantedly touching her several times.
On June 28, Elisha Bell and her friend Angela Rosi attended the concert at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Rosi said the tickets were a treat from Bell’s husband and they sat near the back of the venue.
Bell and Rosi said a man and woman sat about two seats away. They claim the man would walk down the aisle and past them several times to seemingly purchase drinks.
“The first time he walked past, he grabbed [Bell] on the back and the butt. And I pushed his hand off and said, ‘Don’t do that. What’s wrong with you?'” Rosi told Daily Hive.
Bell said this happened several times throughout the concert despite her moving out of his way more and asking him to stop.
“He kept touching my back, my boobs, putting his hand on me to get past,” she said.
When Bell told him to stop, “He kind of just looked at us like really blank.”
Bell and Rosi said several people witnessed the incident and agreed what he was doing was inappropriate.
“So, the final time, my friend got frustrated with [him],” Bell said.
“When he touched her for the last time, I literally just screamed at him to stop sexually harassing my friend as he was walking past,” Rosi said.
Rosi added she also addressed the wife to step in and do something, but the woman allegedly yelled at her in response.
The pair of friends said the couple yelled obscenities at them and eventually the man attempted to punch Bell, Rosi said.
“I was in between them. So I decided to defend her and fought back,” she said, “And when I fought back, the wife threw punches at me.”
“During that time, he was punching my friend in the face, and my friend and I had to start defending ourselves against a grown man twice our size,” Rosi said, adding the couple also attempted to spit on them.
@elisha.and.maeve we need witnesses, dm me or @gel. A grown male in his 50s did this to us. We told him to stop touching and groping me and he punched us in the face #nickelback #nickelbackconcert #rogersarenavancouver #rogersarena ♬ original sound – Elisha🐻 | your funny mom bff
Bell and Rosi said security at the venue did respond to the incident and escorted the couple and them out of the section.
The two provided a statement to police, and Bell is considering pressing charges against the man.
While Bell said she does not blame anyone besides the man for the incident, Rosi is critical of how the security at Rogers Arena reacted.
Rosi claims security said, “Had you told us earlier before it got to this, maybe we could have done something,” and proceeded to kick them out of the venue before the show had ended.
While they wouldn’t have stayed to watch the whole show, Bell said she does not understand why they were forced to leave. Rosi added, “We weren’t given a choice.”
“As much as we had so many people leaving a statement for us and defending us… it made no difference,” Rosi said. “We’re getting no money back for the ticket. Nothing’s being done. And we were attacked, and we’re still now missing one of our favourite bands for pretty much getting attacked. It’s almost as if we were blamed.”
@elisha.and.maeve he actually punched me multiple times and my bestie got attacked by his wife. Im sorry @nickelback for causing you to stop the show. But the man kept grabbing me and i told him to stop which resulted in him punching two women in the face. If anyone saw this please dm me. #nickleback #nicklebackconcert #rogersarena ♬ original sound – Elisha🐻 | your funny mom bff
Rosi said she feels as if she was “punished” for standing up for herself and her friend.
Bell said, “I’m just covered in bruises,” and said she is feeling pain in her cheek. Meanwhile, Rosi said she also walked away with bruises and a cut to the inside of her lip.
For months, Bell has been working through her fear of crowded places to see one of her favourite bands, Nickleback, in concert, after giving birth to her baby eight months ago.
“It took months of preparing myself to leave the house and go to this concert. I had convinced myself nothing bad would happen,” she said. “And then this happened, and I’m just not leaving my house again.”
Daily Hive has confirmed Bell has been in contact with police but Vancouver Police Department said a report seems to not have been written yet as it is waiting on a written statement from Bell.
Daily Hive has also reached out to Live Nation and Rogers Arena for comment. This article will be updated if a statement is received.