Afroman, best known for his 2001 hit “Because I Got High,” was arrested Tuesday night for punching a female fan in the head while he was performing a set in Biloxi, Mississippi. According to Billboard, the fan had managed to get onstage and was dancing behind Joseph “Afroman” Foreman when he suddenly struck her. She reportedly lay bleeding while the concert continued, until security stopped the show and escorted her offstage. Police then removed the musician from the venue and charged him with assault. Afroman was later released on a $330 bond.
TMZ has video of the incident; it appears the two acknowledge each other moments before Afroman wheels around and coldcocks the woman. Despite this evidence, Afroman’s rep paints the incident as a result of his client being startled. “This was a completely involuntary reflex reaction to people infringing on his stage space,” his rep said, implying that Afroman was the real victim. “It was uncharacteristic behavior that was initiated by outside uncontrolled forces.”
This explanation seems like a stretch, unless we are meant to understand that the “uncharacteristic behavior” was the woman suddenly collapsing to the floor, which was “initiated” by Afroman unleashing an “outside uncontrolled” haymaker.