Mario Apologizes to Cameraman After Telling Him to ‘Get the F— Off the Stage’ During Show

Mario issued an apology to a cameraman after telling him to leave the stage during his set.

According to fan-captured TikTok footage, the R&B star was in the midst of performing his 2002 classic “Braid My Hair” at Big Fresno Fair on Saturday, Oct. 11 when a cameraman — who has since been identified as Ryan Hudgins — appeared on the stage behind him.

Mario abruptly stopped singing and said, “Yo, get the f— off the stage n—-. Get off the stage.”

Per Vibe, the “Let Me Love You” singer issued an apology on Instagram Stories the following day.

“People are misinformed about the Fresno situation,” he began the post. “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 wrote that he was distracted by seeing the cameraman in his peripheral vision repeatedly and “almost tripped” over the speaker to make sure he wasn’t walking in the same direction. He added that Hudgins “was too far down stage.”

“A cameraman is not supposed to be that far down stage unless he’s with you and shooting you that close for a reason. 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,'” he wrote.

Mario then stated that he will “take accountability” for the way he reacted and described himself as a “0 to 100 type of person.”

“This is why I stay out the way most of the time,” he wrote. “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.”

Mario then offered a personal 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 ‘Nothing But Us’ tour and we can do it the right way!” he wrote.

“To the fans who were triggered i love u,” he concluded.

On Monday, Oct. 13, Hudgins shared an Instagram post breaking his silence on the incident.

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

Hudgins then praised Lloyd, who was performing at the show that evening.

“To [Lloyd], I appreciate your professionalism, your performance, and your love for music and your fans. 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 wrote.

“Stay positive, my brother, we need more real men like you,” Hudgins concluded.

PEOPLE has reached out to Mario for comment, while Hudgins had no additional comment.

In August, Mario announced on Instagram Stories that he’s expecting his first baby with girlfriend Esmeralda Rios.

The photo featured the “Break Up” performer placing his hand over his girlfriend’s bare baby bump.

“It’s a whole universe in there! 🥹 I can’t wait”, he captioned the snap.

Mario is set to kick off his Nothing But Us Tour on Thursday, Nov. 13 in Richmond, Va. The tour will make stops in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco and more before concluding in Los Angeles on Dec. 9.