Celebrity Celebrity News Celebrity Legal & Lawsuits Bebe Rexha Assailant Told Police He Thought It 'Would Be Funny' to Hit Her with Phone as Charges Unveiled Nicolas Malvanga of New Jersey admitted to throwing a phone at Rexha's face during her concert in New York City on Sunday night By Jack Irvin Jack Irvin Jack Irvin has over five years of experience working in digital journalism, and he’s worked at PEOPLE since 2022. Jack started in the industry with internships at Rolling Stone and Entertainment Tonight, and he worked as a freelance writer for publications including Bustle, MTV News, Shondaland, L’Officiel USA, Ladygunn, Flood and PopCrush before joining PEOPLE. In his current role, Jack covers daily music news and has interviewed both up-and-coming and established artists including Dolly Parton, Michelle Branch, Ashanti, Cyndi Lauper, Normani, Carly Rae Jepsen and Coco Jones. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 20, 2023 11:45AM EDT Bebe Rexha. Photo: Gareth Cattermole/amfAR/Getty The man who threw a phone at Bebe Rexha's face during the pop star's New York City concert over the weekend has told police he thought the action — which injured her — "would be funny." The New York District Attorney's Office tells PEOPLE that after Rexha's show at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in lower Manhattan on Sunday night, Nicolas Malvanga, 27, of New Jersey was arrested on several misdemeanor charges: two counts of third degree assault as well as second degree aggravated harassment, third degree attempted assault and second degree harassment. According to the criminal complaint, Malvanga was taken into custody, admitted to throwing the phone and told police, "I was trying to see if I could hit her with the phone at the end of the show because it would be funny." Bebe Rexha 'Good' After Being Hit in Face with Phone: Singer Required Stitches as Man Arrested Bebe Rexha. Bebe Rexha/Instagram His next court date is July 31. The assailant's lawyer, Todd Spodek, tells PEOPLE in a statement: "Nicolas, like many other fans, was hoping to interact in some way with Ms. Rexha as the phone was returned. It was never his intention to injure Ms. Rexha in any way." During the show, the phone hit Rexha on the forehead, splitting her eyebrow and requiring stitches. Rexha, 33, was escorted off the stage and treated by a medical team at the venue, as seen in footage fans shared on Twitter. Police confirmed Rexha was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition. The pop star posted on her Instagram Monday morning to show fans she was OK, sharing a selfie of her stitches and a burgeoning black eye. "I'm good," she wrote in a nod to both her health and her latest hit. Bebe Rexha Opens Up About Singing with Dolly Parton and Weight Struggles: 'I'm Working on Myself' (Exclusive) Bebe Rexha. Bebe Rexha/Instagram Rexha is in the middle of her Best F*n Night of My Live Tour to support her new album Bebe, and she'll be going forward with a scheduled show in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening. "Although the show ended in an unfortunate way it was still an amazing show in my hometown," the Grammy nominee wrote on Instagram Tuesday. "Thank you so Much New York. I love You. The Tour must go on!!!" She added an Instagram Story showing how her injuries were looking, captioning it, "Still making a black eye sexy." Bebe Rexha. Bebe Rexha/Instagram Earlier this year, she previewed the tour — her first string of headlining shows in six years — in an interview with PEOPLE. “It takes everybody on a journey of all my music,” she said in April. “What I'm excited for the most is feeling the fans' energy. There's a different connection when you perform live with drums, guitar, bass, piano and dancers that really fulfills me.” Close