Luke Bryan hit a concertgoer because he was being "insulting".
Luke Bryan
The 40-year-old singer was performing his single 'Move' at Charlie Daniels' all-star Volunteer Jam concert in Nashville, Tennessee on Wednesday (30.11.16) when he grew fed up with hecklers.
In video footage of the incident, Luke could be heard beckoning a man, saying 'Come on', before reaching out to slap him in the face and neck, before security guards moved into the audience.
And now a representative for the 'Strip It Down' singer has issued a statement explaining Luke felt compelled to act to put a stop to the audience member's "disruptive" behaviour.
They told Billboard magazine: "A man in [the] front row was making crude hand gestures toward Luke during his performance.
"It was insulting not only to him, but more importantly to the men, women and families sitting around him who were there to support and celebrate Charlie Daniels and the efforts of raising money for the military veterans -- some of who were in the audience. The concert security personnel saw the man's disruptive actions of the event and he was escorted out."
The charity concert was first established in 1974, with a portion of proceeds going to US veterans via Charlie's Journey Home Project.
As well as Luke, this year's event - which celebrated the organiser's 80th birthday - also saw performances from Travis Tritt, Kid Rock, Chris Stapleton and 3 Doors Down, while Charlie himself closed the concert with his own set and a group jam.
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