“Gossip Girl” actress Taylor Momsen was bitten by a bat while performing on stage in Sevilla, Spain, forcing her to get rabies shots over the course of two weeks.
The 30-year-old singer was opening for AC/DC on the European portion of their Power Up tour when the incident happened. Besides working in Hollywood as a TV actress, Momsen is the lead singer of the band The Pretty Reckless.
Momsen was performing the song “Witches Burn” when the bat attached itself to the hem of her dress and bit her leg.
“So … ROCK AND ROLL MOMENT … in Sevilla Wednesday during “Witches Burn” of all songs… a BAT flew onto me and clung to my leg …” the singer shared in her Instagram post caption.
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“In the moment I was performing and had no idea until the incredible crowd kept screaming and pointing,” the post continued. “He was cute, but yes he bit me … so rabies shots for the next two weeks thanks to all the staff at the hospital who dubbed me #batgirl after seeing it on the local news that morning … more footage to come … that’s one for the books!!!! @acdc #pwrup #BATGIRL.”
“You guys are pointing at something and I don’t know what you’re saying,” Momsen can be heard telling the audience in the video clip. The singer turned around and bent over to see the bat clinging to her dress.
“Holy f***!” she yelled before returning to the mic. “There’s a f***ing flying bat on my leg right now,” she added, addressing the stage crew to ask for help. “I must really be a witch,” Momsen said.
The singer went on to thank the audience and say, “It’s all right,” after the bat was taken away. “And the bat’s fine,” Momsen said. “He’s gonna be my new friend.”
She also shared footage of herself in the hospital receiving shots to prevent rabies.
Per the Mayo Clinic, rabies is a deadly virus spread to people from the saliva of infected animals. It’s usually transmitted through a bite.
Once a person begins showing signs of rabies, the disease nearly always causes death. That’s why anyone who may have been exposed to the virus must receive vaccinations immediately.
Early symptoms of rabies are similar to those of the flu, while later the symptoms may include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, agitation, anxiety, confusion, hyperactivity, difficulty swallowing, excessive salivation, fear of consuming fluid, hallucinations, insomnia, and partial paralysis.
