Mario Says Sorry After Onstage Outburst at Big Fresno Fair

Things got a little tense at the Big Fresno Fair when R&B star Mario briefly lost his cool during a performance of his 2002 hit “Braid My Hair.” But after the moment went viral, the singer didn’t shy away from owning up to it — and even offered an olive branch to the cameraman involved.

During the Saturday, Oct. 11 show, a cameraman named Ryan Hudgins was seen filming behind Mario as he performed. In fan-captured TikTok videos, Mario suddenly stopped mid-song and snapped, “Yo, get the f--- off the stage n----. Get off the stage.” The crowd seemed surprised, and the clip quickly made its way around social media.

The following day, Mario took to Instagram Stories to explain what happened and apologize according to a report from VIBE.

“People are misinformed about the Fresno situation,” he began. “No one told us a cameraman was shooting my set. I got to the show 10 min before my performance and went on stage.”

Mario explained that seeing Hudgins moving around in his peripheral vision threw him off during the song. “I almost tripped over the speaker to make sure he wasn't walking in the same direction,” he wrote, adding that the cameraman “was too far down stage.”

He clarified that cameramen are typically positioned farther back unless they’re part of the artist’s team. “A cameraman is not supposed to be that far down stage unless he’s with you and shooting you that close for a reason,” Mario said. “It really can throw you off. In the midst of all of that while walking back stage right, I got frustrated and that’s when I said, ‘Yo you gotta get the f--- off the stage.’”

Mario didn’t stop there — he took full responsibility for how he handled the situation.

“I will take accountability,” he wrote. “I’m a 0 to 100 type of person. This is why I stay out the way most of the time.”

He expressed concern that one moment could overshadow his long-standing professionalism. “I never want one recorded incident to wipe away the work I’ve done as a person to stay out of ya’ll mouths and the blogs!! I’ve performed under all types of circumstances. I’m a very professional person through and through. Anybody who works with me knows that.”

Then came his direct apology to Hudgins: “To the cameraman, you got caught in the cross fire my boi and I’m sorry u had to experience that! It was nothing personal. You’re welcomed to come and shoot me on tour — it will be the ‘Nothing But Us’ tour and we can do it the right way!”

He wrapped up his message with a note to his supporters: “To the fans who were triggered, I love u.”

A couple of days later, on Monday, Oct. 13, Hudgins shared his own response on Instagram, reflecting on how the night unfolded.

“How the night ended in comparison to how it began,” he captioned a carousel of photos from the event.

Hudgins took a moment to shout out fellow performer Lloyd for his kindness that evening. “To [Lloyd], I appreciate your professionalism, your performance, and your love for music and your fans,” he wrote. “Thank you for taking time out after your performance to have a very meaningful and positive conversation with me. I now have a higher level of respect for you.”

He closed his message on an uplifting note: “Stay positive, my brother, we need more real men like you.”

In the end, both Mario and Hudgins handled the aftermath with grace — one taking responsibility, the other responding with calm and respect. While the moment was an awkward blip caught on camera, it also turned into a reminder that even when tensions rise, humility and accountability can smooth things out just as quickly as a heartfelt R&B track.