Harry Styles frightened fans after briefly collapsing during his sold-out concert at London’s Wembley Stadium on Friday. Viral videos from the show quickly fueled speculation that the singer collapsed due to the severe heatwave sweeping parts of Europe.
TMZ cited sources close to the situation and reported that Styles accidentally choked on water while attempting his signature “whale” move. The brief choking spell caused him to lose his balance and fall.
Fan-recorded videos circulating across social media showed the Grammy-winning singer suddenly coughing, dropping to the stage and lying on his back for several seconds.
Read more: Harry Styles’ one-word response to apparent ‘Viva Palestina’ chant at concert viral; watch
What happened during the Wembley performance?
The incident occurred near the end of Styles’ performance while he was singing “As It Was.” Reports said he had taken a sip of water before attempting the familiar “whale” stunt.
The stunt is Styles’ concert tradition where he sprays water into the air for fans. He had taken a sip of water before attempting the familiar “whale” stunt. Instead of spraying the water cleanly into the air, he appeared to inhale some of it in the video, triggering a coughing fit.
Videos showed the singer clutching his chest, coughing repeatedly and briefly struggling to catch his breath. Witnesses said the entire episode lasted only a few seconds. After the fit, Styles stood up and waved to fans while leaving the stage without any injuries.
Entertainment Weekly reported that the singer returned for his next scheduled Wembley performance.
Read more: Harry Styles’ honest 4-word admission on the grief of losing Liam Payne: ‘I struggle…’
Heatwave fueled online speculation
The incident happened as the United Kingdom experienced unusually high temperatures, with London recording temperatures approaching 36°C (97°F).
The extreme weather prompted many fans online to initially suspect that heat exhaustion had caused the collapse. According to the BBC, the back of Styles’ shirt appeared to be wet with sweat during the concert.
On a TikTok video of the incident, one user wrote, “Oh, that man was DYING in the heat.”
Another commentator wrote, “I nearly had a heart attack watching the live stream. Thought he collapsed from heat or exhaustion!”
Some worried fans wrote, “Why didn’t any of his team notice that he was struggling with his tie? This is so bad.”
Following his final performance in London on Saturday, July 4, the Grammy winner will go to São Paulo, Brazil, and Mexico City before coming to the US for 30 performances at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
