Venditti insults a disabled girl from the stage, then apologizes: "It was dark, I didn't understand"

Insults to a disabled girl, then apologies on social media. There is a storm over Antonello Venditti, who was the protagonist of an ugly episode during his concert in Fossato del Castello, Barletta.

The facts: the singer was performing when he heard noises and groans coming from an unspecified point in the audience. Convinced that it was a rude spectator, he turned to him brusquely: "Come here if you have the courage, you f*cking asshole."

He didn't know he was talking to a girl in a wheelchair. One of the stewards explained it to him: "And I understand," he replied. "He's a special boy who, however, needs to learn manners. There are no 'special boys', manners are one thing..."

Overwhelmed by the controversy, he then went live on social media to apologize: "Good morning boys and girls, I wanted to reassure you: first of all, I'm not a monster, you know that very well - Venditti explains to his followers -. This stupid controversy is mounting for the people who know me, but it's true that I made a mistake because in the dark I didn't understand who this girl was. I thought it was a political protest, which I'm used to, so I responded very violently to this girl. Then I met her, her name is Cinzia, her family is fantastic and so I have to apologize, but I can't do more than apologize. Because my concert is very complicated and it's different from all the others so I'm reacting to something that in the dark one can't realize".

"When you realize it afterwards, like I did, you make amends," he continues, "But I did it yesterday evening after the concert, the parents got the passes and everything. I'm shocked, because in addition to the political attacks that come at me from all sides, there are also attacks that I don't deserve. Everyone knows how much I love the 'special' kids, everyone who comes to my concerts can testify to that. In fact, I've always made sure to assign the best seats to those who can't aspire to them. If I made a mistake, excuse me, but it was the result of the darkness and stress that one experiences doing a very complicated concert like mine. I would burst into tears, to an episode like that I respond with tears, I'm so sorry, a hug."

(Unioneonline/D)