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International

17th Feb 2023

Sam Smith harassed and called ‘demonic’ and ‘evil’ by woman in the street

Steve Hopkins

‘Sam Smith belongs in hell.’

A video has emerged showing Sam Smith being told he belongs in “hell” following his ‘Unholy’ Grammy awards performance with Kim Petras.

The singer’s performance was branded “literally a tribute to satan” by some critics on social media. US Senator Ted Cruz called it “evil” and fellow politician Jack Lombardi II agreed, writing: “The greatest act the Devil ever pulled was to convince the world he doesn’t exist – and now he hides in plain sight.”

The outrage caused the Church of Satan to issue a comment, but they watered down the controversy, saying what Smith and Petras had done was “nothing particularly special,” especially because the Satanic imagery was “kind of passé” now.

Smith and Petras won Best Pop Duo for the performance in a historic moment for the LGBTQ+ community at the Grammys. Petras became the first trans woman to win the award.

On Wednesday, footage began circulating on social media showing Smith getting harassed on the streets of New York City by a woman, whose outrage the star appeared to be filming on their own phone.

 

In the footage, which was filmed by an onlooker, Smith was wearing navy blue jeans and a blazer, and can be seen pointing their phone at where the abuse is coming from.

The woman yells: “You belong in hell!”

Then: “Sam Smith belongs in hell. You demonic, twisted, sick b*****d,” while the ‘Lay Me Down’ musician walked past, before putting their phone down. They did not respond.

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Sam Smith