Patti Smith, an American singer, songwriter, and poet, collapsed suddenly on stage at the Teatro Cultura Artística in São Paulo, Brazil on Wednesday.
Folha de S.Paulo, a Brazilian news outlet, reported that Smith collapsed on stage roughly 30 minutes after the start of her Wednesday performance with Soundwalk Collective at the Teatro Cultura Artística. According to the outlet, the 78-year-old performer had been experiencing severe migraines for multiple days prior to the show and collapsed suddenly while reading a statement about climate change at Wednesday’s performance.
A video shared on X, formerly Twitter, by The Associated Press Entertainment shows Smith returning to the stage, announcing that her performance would have to be cut short, and apologizing to the crowd after her collapse.
“Unfortunately, I got sick, and the doctor said I can’t finish, so we will have to figure something [out],” Smith told the audience while seated in a wheelchair. “And I feel very badly.”
In response to the 78-year-old saying she felt “very badly,” the crowd shouted, “Don’t be! We love you!”
In a Thursday post on Instagram, the Soundwalk Collective announced, “It is with much sadness that we decided to cancel tonight’s performance at Teatro Cultura Artistica. Patti is now recovering strongly but our caring doctors says she needs a little more time to be at her best.”
Smith also released a statement in a post on Instagram, explaining that she was “fine” and that reports of her collapse had been “grossly exaggerated” by the media.
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“I had some post migraine dizziness,” Smith said. “Had a small incident, left the stage, and returned 10 minutes later and talked to the people, told them I was fine and sang them Wing and Because the night. I was checked out by an excellent Doctor and was absolutely fine.”
Smith added, “Please do not accept any other story. With all the strife in the world, this explainable incident does not merit so much attention. Thank you everyone for your concern. Trust me I am fine.”
