Why Tim McGraw 'Swatted' a Fan in Atlanta

The singer was caught on tape in an on-stage altercation. Here's what happened.

ByABC News
July 18, 2014, 11:21 AM
Tim McGraw performs onstage at the 2014 CMA Festival, June 5, 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Tim McGraw performs onstage at the 2014 CMA Festival, June 5, 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Larry Busacca/Getty Images

— -- Tim McGraw may have had a good reason for getting aggressive with a fan.

A video posted by TMZ shows the country singer wading into the crowd during a show earlier this week in Atlanta, when one fan got too grabby.

"At the end of the night during the encore, Tim was singing out in the audience and someone firmly grabbed onto his leg and wouldn't let go as he was moving through the crowd," his rep told ABC News. "He instinctively swatted to try and keep them from ripping his jeans -- which they succeeded at doing! -- and so he could get to more fans who were trying to slap hands with him before the end of the show."

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The rep added that McGraw, 47, didn't realize who grabbed his leg.

"[He] was simply trying to keep his pants from being torn," his rep said.

McGraw is in the middle of an international tour, which extends through November of this year.

His album, "Sundown Heaven Town," is due out in September.