Key Takeaways

• Mario said he didn’t know a cameraman would be on stage and initially thought he was a fan.
• He explained that the cameraman’s position and use of an iPhone raised safety concerns.
• The singer later apologized and invited the cameraman to film him again on tour.

In an interview with “The Breakfast Club” published Wednesday (Nov. 19), Mario detailed the circumstances behind a viral onstage exchange that took place at the Big Fresno Fair back in October. Around the clip’s 33-minute mark, the singer explained why he angrily told a cameraman to leave the stage.

According to the Baltimore talent, he was unaware that anyone would be filming. “No one told me that a cameraman was going to be on stage at all,” he stated. While performing “Braid My Hair,” he noticed movement in his peripheral vision. “I keep seeing a figure,” he explained. Because there wasn't an actual camera involved, Mario initially thought the individual came from the crowd. “He didn’t have a camera, bro. He had an iPhone,” he said.

Mario added that extra equipment from other artists remained onstage, creating tight spacing and limited visibility. “It was more speakers than supposed to be,” he expressed, noting that he “tripped” due to the additional distractions. When the cameraman moved toward the front, Mario said he became concerned about safety and interference. “In that moment, it’s like, ‘Yo, you got to get the f**k off the stage, bro,” he recalled. “It wasn’t even like, ‘I hate you’… It was just like, ‘N**ga, get the f**k off.”

Mario’s initial apology to the cameraman

Footage of the exchange circulated widely online. Seen through multiple angles of footage (including the cameraman, later revealed to be Ryan Hudgins), Mario abruptly stopped singing to address the situation.

As PEOPLE reported, Mario spoke out about the moment the following day in an Instagram Stories post, saying, “People are misinformed about the Fresno situation. No one told us a cameraman was shooting my set.” He wrote that Hudgins’ position “too far down stage” was distracting and led to his reaction.

He also issued a direct apology: “To the cameraman, you got caught in the crossfire, my boy, and I’m sorry you had to experience that! It was nothing personal.” Mario invited Hudgins to film him again on his upcoming “Nothing But Us Tour.”