UPDATE: Josh Homme has released an official statement regarding the incident. Read it here.
This is so messed up… A disturbing video (below) from a Christmas festival shows frontman Josh Homme giving a female photographer a seemingly intentional kick to the face.
“Thanks to @joshhomme @queensofthestoneage I now get to spend my night in the ER. Seriously, WHO DOES THAT?!?” Shutterstock photographer Chelsea Lauren shared on her Instagram feed, along with a video of the incident. 
Variety immediately picked up the story, which should by all means go viral — this violent act should not be ignored.
“It was obviously very intentional,” Chelsea told the publication.
Later, Chelsea followed up with a detailed update on her own social media page:
Thank you everyone that has reached out with supportive messages. A small update, as I’m being flooded with questions: My neck is a sore, my eyebrow bruised and I’m a bit nauseous. The doctor released me early in the morning.
Here are three images [see below]. Two of them as Josh looked at me, smiled and then kicked me.
The other one is later after he cut his own face with a knife. I was in the pit in tears — and he just stared at me smiling.
Assault in any form is not okay, no matter what the reasoning. Alcohol and drugs are no excuse. I was where I was allowed to be, I was not breaking any rules. I was simply trying to do my job.
I hold nobody accountable for this but Josh himself. KROQ has nothing to do with this and I will always support them.
The irony is someone had thrown an ice cube on to the very slick catwalk before the QOTSA set. I was afraid that one of the band members might slip and hurt themselves so, when the lights went dark, I used my arm to wipe down the runway so nobody would hurt themselves.
Whatever was going through Josh Homme’s mind when this all went down is unclear as he and QOTSA remain silent. What he and all artists need to realize is that photographers, journalists, and other members of the media are trying to do their job, too. No one deserves a kick to the face, or any other form of disrespect for trying to get their job done.
Josh Homme Kicks Photographer In The Face
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcg3ffCjXBw/?taken-by=chelsealaurenla
https://www.instagram.com/p/BciIUG4Dh1-/?taken-by=chelsealaurenla
Photo by Chelsea Lauren
