LeAnn Rimes has experienced her fair share of unexpected moments on stage, but nothing could quite prepare the Grammy-winning singer for what happened during her performance at the Skagit Valley Casino & Resort in Bow, Washington this weekend.
The 42-year-old star, best known for her smash hit "Can't Fight the Moonlight," was midway through her song "One Way Ticket" when she felt something shift in her mouth. It turned out to be the dental bridge in the front of her mouth, which had unexpectedly popped out mid-performance.
Taking to Instagram to share the jaw-dropping moment with fans, LeAnn recounted the surreal ordeal with a mix of humour and horror.
"We're going to do a little story time about how the show must go on," she began. "And this is the most epic example of how the show must go on."
With endearing honesty, LeAnn continued: "So last night, I was on stage in the middle of 'One Way Ticket.' I feel something pop in my mouth. And if you've been around, you know I've had a lot of dental surgeries, and I have a bridge in the front. It fell out in the middle of my song."
© Getty ImagesIn classic showbiz style, LeAnn didn't let the dental mishap derail the evening. Instead, she paused the performance briefly, darted to the side of the stage to reinsert the bridge, and returned to the spotlight with her signature poise.
"I just had to get real with everybody and tell them exactly what was happening or else I would have had to walk off stage," she said. "And so, for the rest of the show, I was literally like this—pushing my teeth in every couple of lines and singing."
© GettyShe added: "I don't usually have firsts in my career. That was a first and hopefully a last. I hope my teeth stay in tonight. We shall see. The front row, get ready for something to fly out. If you catch them, please return them."
The candid admission struck a chord with fans, many of whom praised the star for her grace under pressure and ability to laugh at herself.
© Getty Images"There wasn't a thing I could do about it except either walk off or just hold my teeth in," she continued. "So I just ran with it."
LeAnn said she hoped other performers might take heart from her very public blunder.
"The show can go on in the midst of sheer, utter embarrassment," she said, chuckling.
This isn’t the first time LeAnn has had to grapple with a performance-halting health issue. In 2014, while performing in Oklahoma, she suffered a jaw dislocation that left her unable to do an encore.
At the time, she tweeted: "Oklahoma!!!! I love you so much! I'm sorry for no encore. I had my jaw pop out of place & I can't hear out of my left ear. #tmjsucks"
She added: "I had the best time tonight with my Oklahoma fans! I love y'all!"
© InstagramLeAnn, who is married to actor Eddie Cibrian, has been candid about her long-standing dental struggles. In 2013, she filed a malpractice lawsuit against her former dentist, claiming his attempts to fit her with veneers had left her in significant pain.
According to court documents, LeAnn alleged she had endured "severe tooth pain, gum inflammation and chronic gum bleeding" as a result of the botched dental work.
Two years later, she revealed she had undergone her 29th dental surgery.
Despite these painful chapters, LeAnn continues to face adversity with resilience and an unshakable sense of humour. Her fans, both in the audience and online, lauded her for keeping calm and carrying on through what she described as a "nightmare come to life."
As she told her followers this weekend, "I don’t usually have firsts in my career, but this was a first. And hopefully a last."
