DALLAS – Texas singer-songwriter Clayton Gardner was in shock after a fan who tried to request a song coughed on him during a performance at a venue in Las Colinas, near Dallas, The Dallas Morning News reported.
In a video captured on Facebook Live, the woman wanted to request a song to Gardner, then he suggested she make the request seven feet from the singer. After several repeated requests, she had inched closer, grabbed his red bandanna, and coughed at his neck.
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In a statement that accompanied the video clip, Gardner said he “handled the situation with as much class and patience” and that he is trying to protect his 3-year-old daughter from getting COVID-19.
“In a matter of seconds this lady took that away from me. I was honestly shocked and pretty defenseless sitting there holding my guitar,” he said on Facebook. “The audience was equally as shocked. I’m outraged by her behavior and the behavior of many others in our world today. I would much rather be at home but unfortunately I have to play some gigs to pay my bills, just like the rest of you.”
Gardner reassured his fans on Facebook that the video clip was not a “fake PR stunt” and does not want to make this a political issue. He has also asked people not to find the woman.
According to The Dallas Morning News, the woman in the video has since apologized. Gardner said he received an apology Tuesday.
“I accept her apology,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “She made a mistake, and we’ve all made mistakes, and I think that it’s OK to show her a little grace and forgiveness.”