Taylor Momsen has described a serious health scare during the Pretty Reckless’s tour as support for AC/DC. She spoke about the incident in comments shared via Rick Beato.
Momsen was bitten by a venomous spider in Mexico while opening for the band. The bite was severe enough that medical staff warned her of serious consequences if she did not receive proper care.
“I ended up, the last night of the tour in Mexico City in the hospital, hooked up to IVs with the strongest antibiotics you can possibly get getting pumped through my system, with the hospital telling me I cannot leave and they had to admit me for 5 days, or I was going to lose my leg,” Momsen said.
She explained that she pushed back against the doctors’ advice to stay in hospital care. “To which I turned to the doctor and I said, Doc, I got a show in a few hours, so I need a plan B. And he goes, ‘You’re not gonna make that show.’ And I said, ‘Doc, how do I make this clear to you? I’m leaving this hospital, and I would really like to keep my leg, so I need a plan B. Don’t recommend that…. that spider was just actively trying to kill me.'”
The comments came during a discussion about the Pretty Reckless’s time opening for AC/DC.
The Pretty Reckless were announced as special guests for AC/DC’s 2024 European Power Up Tour on March 25, serving as the only opener on all 24 dates. The tour started on May 17, 2024 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany at Veltins Arena and ended on August 17, 2024 in Dublin, Ireland at Croke Park. AC/DC has long been referenced as a major influence for the band, and Momsen has been a longtime fan.
The success of the European leg led to an expanded partnership with AC/DC. The Pretty Reckless were booked as direct support for AC/DC’s 2025 North American Power Up Tour, which began on April 10, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota at US Bank Stadium and concluded on May 28, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio at Huntington Bank Field. The band has since joined AC/DC on every stop of their 2026 North American tour.
The Pretty Reckless is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 2009. Momsen has served as the lead vocalist since the band’s formation. Before starting the band, she was an actress, best known for her roles in How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Gossip Girl. The band released their debut studio album, Light Me Up, in August 2010.
