Watch the Moment Adele Cried Onstage While Honoring a Fan's Late Wife

An emotional encounter with a fan moved Adele to tears during one of her recent Las Vegas concerts.

In video footage captured by audience members and shared to TikTok, Adele walks through the crowd of fans while performing "When We Were Young" at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, where she is currently fulfilling a five-month residency.

As she passes an older gentleman who is holding up his phone displaying a picture of a woman, Adele asks him, "Who's that?" There is an inaudible reply that prompts Adele to frown and place a hand over her heart.

When she returns to the stage, the Grammy winner is on the brink of tears.

"When I walked through the crowd, I wish you can see what I can see because… I talk to a few people every night but then I just see little stories and … there was a man," she says, struggling to speak as she begins to visibly cry.

She points over to the direction of the man's seat. "He’s just there. Can you see him holding his phone up? I think that’s his wife on his phone and I don’t think she’s here and it just really moved me and it’s just really you on your own and I just… I’m so so sorry," she says. "I’m so sorry for your loss. And I’m so sorry I didn’t realize what you were showing me until I was already over there."

The singer continues, "It’s like I see little pockets of people’s lives when I walk through and it’s so beautiful but it can be really emotional."

In another clip, Adele dedicates the song "Someone Like You" to the fan. "This is for you sir, who was showing his wife on his phone," she says.

Watch the tear jerker moment below.

Adele previously opened up about postponing her Las Vegas residency, which officially kicked off last November, during a September 2022 interview with Elle.

"There was just no soul in it," she said, detailing her dissatisfaction with the stage setup at the time. "It was very disconnected from me and my band, and it lacked intimacy. And maybe I tried too hard to give it those things in such a controlled environment."

She added, "I was embarrassed. But it actually made my confidence in myself grow, because it was a very brave thing to do. And I don’t think many people would have done what I did. I’m very proud of myself for standing by my artistic needs."

As an associate editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, Chelsey keeps a finger on the pulse on all things celeb news. She also writes on social movements, connecting with activists leading the fight on workers' rights, climate justice, and more. Offline, she’s probably spending too much time on TikTok, rewatching Emma (the 2020 version, of course), or buying yet another corset. 

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