Sofia Minich
Written by Staff Writer Prisha Puntambekar
As Austin Malone drunkenly moved across the stage during a concert in early March, many fans shared the same thought: to what extent was the 24-year-old rapper abusing drugs?
Malone, more popularly known as Post Malone, faced serious concerns from his fans after upsetting videos of him circled on social media. He displayed frightening behavior in the videos, which depicted him acting in an intoxicated manner while performing.
Fans took to TikTok and Twitter to express their worries, some even comparing Malone’s buzzed performances to those of Amy Winehouse, who struggled with addiction and ultimately overdosed. A BBC News article back in 2011 described Winehouse as “too drunk to sing” during a 2011 Belgrade concert, and fans mercilessly booed her as a result. Winehouse died in the same year from alcohol intoxication, and fans have begun fearing a similar fate for Malone.
However, according to CNN Entertainment, Malone defended the state of his health at another concert on March 6. While onstage, Malone said, “But for anyone that’s concerned here, I appreciate the love and the support, but I feel f**king fantastic and I’m not doing drugs.”
According to Billboard, Dre London stepped up to defend the rapper as well. As Malone’s current manager, London said in an Instagram post, “Thanks for your concerns! I’m sure I would have let you know if something was wrong!”
Malone continued touring throughout March for his latest album, Hollywood’s Bleeding, which was released in early September. The tour was initially expected to end in July, but experienced cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
