Rihanna has cancelled her scheduled concert in Nice, France, on Friday night.
Rihanna had been due to perform at the Allianz Stadium as part of her Anti World Tour, but made the decision to axe the gig following a horrific terror attack in the French Riviera’s capital on Thursday night.
While revellers were out celebrating the country’s national Bastille Day holiday in Nice, a crazed driver plowed into pedestrians on the sidewalk, driving over the bodies of civilians for about a mile ahead.
At least 80 people were killed and 100 injured in the attack, with Nice regional president Christian Estrosi telling French network BFM TV the person behind the wheel of the vehicle appeared to exhibit “completely premeditated behaviour”, adding that authorities found the truck was “loaded” with arms and grenades. The driver was shot and killed by authorities.
Rihanna was in Nice at the time of the attacks but a representative for the pop star later confirmed she was “safe”.
The singer took to Instagram later in the evening to share news of her show’s cancellation, writing alongside a picture of a French flag inside a heart: “Due to the tragic events in #Nice, my concert scheduled for tomorrow July 15 at Allianz Stadium will not be going ahead as planned. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
Rihanna’s next scheduled performance is at Commerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday night].
Estrosi, who is also president of the PACA region of France, added that the Nice Jazz Festival has also been cancelled.
Other stars who were in Nice at the time of the terror attack included Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, who are currently shooting scenes for Fifty Shades Freed, the third instalment in the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise. Producer Dana Brunetti insisted that everyone involved in the movie is safe.
“Production has confirmed that everyone working on location in the south of France is okay. Everyone has been accounted for and is safe and sound,” he wrote. “Thanks for everyone’s messages and concerns. Another sad day for France and the world.”
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