Kirk Franklin confronts heckler after canceled Philadelphia concert

The gospel icon was leaving the rain-canceled Wawa Welcome America Festival when an exchange with a man shouting for him to “repent” escalated.

After inclement weather led to the cancellation of his show during the “Wawa Welcome America Festival” at Independence Hall, Kirk Franklin found himself at the center of a chaotic confrontation with a heckler in Philadelphia.

On Sunday, June 28, as the 56-year-old gospel star was leaving the area, someone in the crowd approached the singer, declaring he and his wife were “going to hell.”

According to footage circulating online, someone dressed in a red shirt and a white baseball cap can be seen imploring Franklin to “repent.”

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“You need to repent,” the man can be heard saying as Franklin politely attempts to usher him along by responding, “Well, I love you.” The man then becomes more enraged, smacking Franklin’s outstretched hand away while continuing to demand that he “stop gaslighting” and “repent.” He also says something to suggest he takes issue with the Grammy winner’s denomination as he says, “I can’t shake the hand of a man who believes a different doctrine than me.” 

“You and your wife are going to go to hell if you don’t repent,” the man adds.

At that point, Franklin, who is married to Tammy Collins, appears to have heard enough and begins advancing toward the individual, before security and police quickly step in between the two men and escort the singer away from the scene. The unidentified man sighs, throws his hand in the air, and eventually walks off, disappearing into the crowd.

The “Stomp” singer was set to headline the “Gospel on Independence” concert as part of the “Wawa Welcome America Festival” at Independence Hall when lightning in the area halted the show before a heavy downpour forced organizers to cancel it altogether. The event was hosted by Maurette Brown Clark and honored Philadelphia radio personality Patty Jackson.

While there wasn’t much Franklin could do to control the weather, there was, according to Fox 29, a mix of reactions from those who gathered for the festival. While most understood the safety concerns, many left frustrated that there wasn’t a better weather contingency plan in place.

After the cancellation, Franklin greeted fans from the SUV’s sunroof. In footage shared to his Instagram Stories with the caption “Love you Philly,” he can be seen standing on the vehicle’s roof, waving to the cheering crowd of fans. In another post, Franklin is seen managing to still greet many different fans before the weather cut the evening short.