Country Star Claims She Was Touched Inappropriately During a Meet-And-Greet: ‘I Just Froze’

Caylee Hammack is opening up about a disturbing encounter she had that has left her feeling both shocked and uncomfortable. Following one of her recent performances, the country artist alleged that an intoxicated fan groped her during a meet-and-greet. 

Sharing her story on social media earlier this month, Hammack, 31, detailed the unwanted physical advance, saying one of two drunken fans began the interaction by offering her a compliment, telling her she was going to be a “star.” After taking a picture with that unnamed person, Hammack explained that the other fan, then, “wanted in on a picture.”

“So I took another picture with them,” she noted in the video post, uploaded to TikTok before explaining how things took an unexpected turn for the worse.  

@cayleehammack

♬ original sound – Caylee Hammack

“When I put my hands behind both women to take a picture with them, this lady who was just complimenting me and had bought a $5 sticker from me decided to grab my [chest],” Hammack said. “…. goes to the next one, does the exact same thing, looks at my friend and says, ‘Wow….” 

The Singer Said the Experience Took Her Back to Old Memories She’d Prefer To Forget

Hammack went on to say that the invasion of her personal space left her feeling “alone” in the moment. She also revealed the unwelcome interaction brought back painful memories of the early days of her career, when she was a struggling musician playing for tips on Broadway in Nashville. 

“I felt in that moment, Caylee from 12 years ago came back,” Hammack shared. “The Caylee that worked down on Broadway and did four-hour sets and was groped every single time she ran around the tip jug.” 

“….Even though it was a great paying gig, I would always try to get morning sets that would pay half of what they did at night because at least I wasn’t getting groped,” she continued, adding that whenever she’d perform during the night-shift “someone was gonna spank my b**t or grab onto somewhere on my body and there was nothing I could do. You just had to be numb to it.”

Visibly emotional, Hammack said, “I hated last night that I was still in that head space. I was still numb and desensitized.” 

The Unwanted Encounter Opened Her Eyes to the Dark Side of Meet-And-Greets

She also admitted that the experience helped her “finally understand why some artists don’t want to do meet-and-greets.”

After giving her account of the traumatic incident, Hammack apologized to the innocent fans who were at the same meet-and-greet and thanked them for respecting her boundaries. 

“Getting to hug you and connect with you and getting to hear your stories of how this music affects you. This is literally why I do it,” she said to the people who attended the show to simply meet her and enjoy music. “I want to create music that makes people feel less alone. I felt a little alone within my body that night.” 

Other Country Artists Poured Into the Comments Section With Support

Hammack’s story has drawn plenty of attention from folks, including other female country artists, who have rallied around her with support. Lily Rose, Maren Morris, Tenille Townes, Ashley Cooke, Mae Estes, MaRynn Taylor, Tenille Arts, and Carter Faith, are among some of the artists who offered words of sympathy, with Morris revealing she too has fallen victim to unwanted sexual harassment. 

“Ugh. I’m sorry. [I] went through a similar thing recently and was not OK for a few days,” Morris wrote in the comment section of the post. “I hope you’re alright.” 

After receiving numerous questions, including whether she pressed charges, Hammack revealed in a separate TikTok video that she doesn’t know the identity of the person who groped her, and added that sharing her story has made her feel “a lot better.” 

@cayleehammack

Replying to @April_may_not thank y’all for understanding & caring🧡

♬ original sound – Caylee Hammack

When asked why she didn’t initially push the perpetrator’s hand away, Hammack revealed, “I just froze…I regret that. I wish I could’ve had some stronger, sassier approach to it, but I didn’t.”

Related: Country Star Speaks Out After Admitting He ‘Let Myself Break Down’ in Tearful Video: ‘Sorry if I Scared You’