Unruly Fan Hits Florence Pugh in the Face With Object During ‘Dune: Part Two’ Preview

The crowd at CCXP 2023 was raucous this weekend, throwing things on stage and even hitting actress Florence Pugh in the face with something. Pugh was at the fan convention in São Paulo, Brazil with the rest of the cast of Dune: Part Two to promote the film, including an on-stage appearance together on Sunday. A viral video shows the moment something came flying out of the crowd and hit Pugh just above her eye.

Pugh was arm-in-arm with Austin Butler when the thrown object came hurtling toward her. They were in a semi-circle with co-stars Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya as well as writer-director Denis Villeneuve, posing for a photo-op after their panel about Dune: Part Two. Something oblong no bigger than a smart phone came arcing from the direction of the crowd and hit Pugh’s forehead before bouncing to the ground. It took the whole stage by surprise, with Butler even flinching as if he expected to be hit. They all turned to Pugh in concern while she went to the ground, investigating the thrown object.

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The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Pugh’s reps to check on her condition and ask for a comment, but so far there has been no public response. The actress did comment on the energetic crowd earlier in the weekend, however. According to Sky News, she said: “Coming in here, the power of this room is because of the first movie. We felt that when we went on set every single day. So it feels really, really special being here with the second one. And I’m very, very proud.”

Thrown objects at live events has become a major concern for celebrities over the last year or two and has generated a lot of conversation on social media. Musicians have been hit hard at concerts, including Harry Styles, Drake, Cardi B and Pink all earlier this year. The trend has led some commenters to speculate about changing social norms, possibly influenced by the long lack of concerts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pugh plays Princess Irulan Corrino in Dune: Part Two, which is slated to hit theaters on March 15, 2024. Her character was not included in the first movie back in 2021, though in the novel her narrations frame the story from start to finish. According to IMDb, that will be the next time fans see Pugh at work, though she has other projects in the works as well.