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So You Think You Can Dance star suffers ‘acid attack’ in London during livestream

Dancer shared footage of the ordeal on social media

Nicole Vassell
Friday 12 April 2024 14:20 BST
Dancer Korra Obidi suffered an ‘acid attack’ in London
Dancer Korra Obidi suffered an ‘acid attack’ in London (Instagram / Korra Obidi)

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A dancer who appeared on the hit US programme So You Think You Can Dance says she was the victim of a hit-and-run acid attack while in London.

Korra Obidi, a Nigerian dancer and singer, was admitted to the hospital on Thursday (11 April) after what was feared to be a corrosive substance was thrown in her face.

According to Obidi, who appeared on the 2019 series and impressed viewers by auditioning while pregnant, the attacker also brandished a knife and slashed her hand.

The performer was in the process of livestreaming to fans at the time of the incident. In a video posted to Instagram, Obidi is seen reacting to the apparent acid attack.

“My face is burning, can I have some Coke to wash it please?” she asks a companion. Obidi then pours some of the drink into her palm before splashing it on her face.

Later, the camera focuses on a yellow kitchen knife with what appears to be blood on the blade. The clip then shows Obidi being treated by an emergency responder who sprays her with a solution on her back as another gives her an eye wash.

In the caption of the video, Obidi wrote: “Currently in an ambulance to the hospital, there was a knife, acid attack on me in the UK in the middle of a live stream.

“There’s been a lot of hate in the past but this physical assault is a wake-up call.”

In the comments, Obidi provided an update on her condition and reassured her supporters of her good health. “Guys I’m in the hospital. Safety with travel is no longer a luxury but [a] necessity. The acid was salicylic and I was lucky. Love you guys.”

Obidi’s sister Nancy Umeh also shared her account of the incident, writing in an Instagram Story: “They poured acid on my sister's face. They threatened to stab her all over her body. They have stabbed her on her hands just outside her Airbnb in Westminster, London.”

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In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: “Officers attended and found a woman in her 30s with a cut to her hand and reporting a liquid had been thrown at her face.

“She was taken to hospital for treatment. The liquid was later confirmed to be a non-noxious cosmetic item.”

In a statement to The Independent, Obidi said: “I am recovering well as I escaped with the best possible scenario. Grateful.”

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