Sam Smith Nonchalantly Filmed A Person Calling Them A ‘Demonic, Twisted, Sick Bastard’ In The Streets Of New York

Given how unafraid Sam Smith is to express themselves, sometimes in envelope-pushing ways, they’re prone to facing backlash. Their and Kim Petras’ recent “Unholy” performance at the Grammys, for example, prompted FCC complaints. Now, video shows Smith dealing with a heckler in the streets of Brooklyn.

In a video shared by New York City-based photographer Leeroy Johnson on February 15, a woman shouts at Smith from across the street, “You belong in Hell! Sam Smith belongs in Hell! You demonic, twisted, sick bastard! Leave the kids alone, you sick f*cker! Sam Smith is a pedophile! […] You sick motherf*cker, Sam Smith! You’re evil!”

All the while, Smith appeared to be unbothered as they seemingly filmed or took photos of the person with their phone for a bit before walking away.

Unfortunately, facing this kind of treatment in public isn’t new for Smith. In a recent interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Smith said of their life since coming out as non-binary, “What people don’t realize with trans and non-binary people in the UK is it’s happening in the street. I’m being abused in the street verbally more than I ever have. That was the hardest part, I think, was being at home in the UK and having people shouting at me in the street. Someone spat at me in the street. It’s crazy.”