An unmarried mother recounted the ordeal of being removed from a Pink performance ‘like criminals’ with her seven-year-old son, who has Down syndrome. They were tossed out due to his exuberance and inability to sit in his designated seat.
In order to accompany her son Jesse to watch his beloved Pink perform at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday, Vanessa Vasey, 48, spent £630 on tickets.
However, because of his sensory issues and limitations, Jesse was not great about staying in his seat. Vanessa, Jesse, and their friend Kirsty stood outside the seating area, and Jesse danced to the support act.
The mother then recounted how six security officers came over and instructed them to sit down or go. She explained to them what was happening and why.
Just as the 44-year-old Grammy winner took the stage, Vanessa said that four additional security guards showed up and told them to leave the building.
She booked the tickets in November and paid £630 for hospitality tickets, which gave them access to the lounge. She knew that Jesse, who has Down’s Syndrome and other developmental, sensory, and neurodivergent needs, wouldn’t be able to sit for that long, so she made sure to get the lounge tickets. The mother-of-four is from Belton, Great Yarmouth.
Vanessa purchased the tickets as a special present for Jesse. Her kid is a “massive” Pink fan; “Trustful” and “Try” are his favorite songs. His mother claims that he has an unquenchable thirst for performing arts, including music and singing.
During the warm-up act, the shades were closed, and even though Vanessa had purchased the tickets because of the lounge access, she was informed they would have to leave since they couldn’t see anything anyway.
Someone informed Vanessa that when several individuals protested, they were given a choice: sit in their chairs in front of the screen in the sensory room or go.
They felt they had no other option than to leave at 8.45 p.m., which meant they would miss the whole event.
More than 1,400 people have shared the mother’s Facebook post about the experience.
The safety and security of all event goers is of the utmost importance to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, according to a representative who acknowledged receipt of the complaint.
