Musician and former “Gossip Girl” star Taylor Momsen apparently took it all in stride after being bitten by a bat while on stage in Spain last week.
Momsen and her band The Pretty Reckless were performing a song when a bat latched onto Momsen’s thigh, according to several videos posted to her Instagram page over the weekend.
One of the videos showed the exact moment Momsen asked members of the production for help after realizing she had a bat on her leg. In the video, several people run up to the stage to help, and seconds later the bat is seen flying. The video also showed footage of Momsen in what appears to be a hospital receiving injections in his leg.
“I really must be a witch,” she joked to the crowd, referring to the song “Witches Burn,” which she was performing when the incident occurred.
Momsen wrote in the caption that she had “no idea” the bat had latched onto her leg “until the incredible crowd continued screaming and pointing.”
“He was cute, but yeah, he bit me,” she added.
Momsen wrote that he will undergo rabies vaccinations over the next two weeks. She also thanked the hospital staff. “who nicknamed me #batgirl after seeing it on the local news that morning.”
Another video Momsen posted shows the “Gossip Girl” actress walking backstage after the show as she reacts to the incident, saying the bat “clung on for dear life” and “scared” her at the time.
The rabies virus is transmitted by direct contact with an infected animal, including through saliva or tissue of the brain and nervous system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The rabies virus attacks the central nervous system, causing a brain disease that can cause death without treatment.
The CDC recommends seeing a doctor for post-exposure treatment soon after contact with an animal. Post-exposure treatment for people who have not received the rabies vaccine includes a single dose of immune globulin and four doses of the vaccine over the course of two weeks.
Momsen and The Pretty Reckless will be opening acts for AC/DC’s Power Up tour this summer. Taking a dig at the otherwise terrifying incident, Momsen also posted a photo of herself posing next to a “no bats” sign taped to some of AC/DC’s stage equipment.
“Ok… @acdc has the best team ever,” Momsen wrote in the caption. “I love you guys!!!”
Momsen is the lead singer of the rock band The Pretty Reckless, which she formed in 2009. She is also known for her role as Jenny Humphrey on the show “Gossip Girl,” on which she appeared as a series regular from 2007 to 2010.
