Halsey hits back at audience member who told her to “shut up and play”: “I almost fucking died to be on this stage”

Halsey has hit back at an audience member at one of her shows who told her to “shut up and play”.

• READ MORE: Halsey – ‘The Great Impersonator’ review: a brutal but brilliant reckoning with chronic illness

The moment took place as the singer took to the stage last night (Monday November 3), for the second of her two planned shows at Boston’s MGM Music Hall. Just hours before then, they were held overnight in the ER due to an acute medical emergency.

As on stage, Halsey was in the middle of addressing the crowd when a male member of the audience heckled and shouted “stop talking and play”.

In response, Halsey replied: “You think you’re tough shit because you’re from Boston? I’m from Jersey, baby. I’ll whoop your ass. My dad’s from Boston, my mom’s from Jersey—that basically makes me a fucking demon.”

“I’m gonna play whatever the fuck I wanna play,” they added. “In case you didn’t hear me correctly, I almost fucking died to be on this stage. I’m going to play whatever the fuck I wanna play.”

Halsey first gave an update about the visit to the emergency room yesterday, taking to Instagram and explaining that she had a “minor medical emergency” after the first performance at the venue.

LIKE WHO FUCKING ASKED HIM pic.twitter.com/ZwJJLmjnDj

— ava ミ☆ (@PARANOlALIV) November 4, 2025

Adding that she was held here until 6am, the post continued: “I am A-Okay now and ready to rock tonight!”

It is not yet clear what led to the singer being rushed to the ER, although it has been confirmed that they has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments since being diagnosed with lupus and a rare T-Cell lymphoproliferative disorder in 2022.

Then in September 2024, the singer once again found herself hospitalised after suffering a “very scary” seizure.

Taking to X/Twitter after the second night at Boston’s MGM Music Hall, Halsey called out the heckler again, writing: “I’ve been polite but won’t be caught dead letting a man tell me what I should play in my set… There’s always one.”

He told me to
“stop talking and play ____”
there’s always one https://t.co/75iwCTa2y9

— halsey (@halsey) November 4, 2025

I’ve been polite but won’t be caught dead letting a man tell me what I should play in my set.

— halsey (@halsey) November 4, 2025

Halsey released her fifth studio effort ‘The Great Impersonator’ last October, which was given a glowing five-star review from NME and being named one of our best albums of 2024.

“‘The Great Impersonator’ comes from a place she describes as ‘the space between life and death’. On the surface, it’s a tribute to the artists who made her. But on the other hand, it’s a brutal reckoning with chronic illnesses and postpartum depression, written when she wasn’t certain if she’d make it to the other side,” the review read.

The singer is currently celebrating the 10th anniversary of the debut ‘Back To Badlands’ album, and the tour dates kicked off last month.

The post Halsey hits back at audience member who told her to “shut up and play”: “I almost fucking died to be on this stage” appeared first on NME.