Last night, Lady Gaga performed a free concert in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro as part of her tour supporting her new album Mayhem. Over 2.5 million people were in attendance, breaking the record for the highest-attended concert by a female artist.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Brazilian police revealed this morning that they’d arrested two men who’d plotted to detonate a bomb at the concert.
According to Rio de Janeiro’s state police, the attempted bombing was allegedly planned by an anti-LGBTQ group who attempted to recruit teenagers to use Molotov cocktails and homemade explosives while carrying out their plans.
“The plan was treated as a ‘collective challenge’ with the aim of gaining notoriety on social media,” the police said in a statement. Brazil’s Justice Ministry also claimed that members of the group pretended to be Lady Gaga fans online to entice would-be converts into “networks with violent and self-destructive content.”
In a statement to Variety, Lady Gaga’s reps said that the musician and her team learned of the alleged threats this morning admist the media reports about them.
“Prior to and during the show, there were no known safety concerns, nor any communication from the police or authorities to Lady Gaga regarding any potential risks. Her team worked closely with law enforcement throughout the planning and execution of the concert and all parties were confident in the safety measures in place.”
We’ll let you know if any further details emerge regarding this story.