Singer Miley Cyrus grabbed and forcibly kissed by fan in Barcelona

Singer Miley Cyrus has spoken out online about the importance of sexual consent after footage emerged of a stranger appearing to assault her in Barcelona.

The US popstar was leaving her hotel in the city center on Saturday after headlining Primavera Sound festival when a young man came out of a crowd of fans waiting in the street and seemed to grab her by the hair and shoulder and attempt to kiss her.

She can be wearing what she wants. She can be a virgin. She can be sleeping with 5 different people.

She can be with her husband. She can be with her girlfriend. She can be naked.

She CAN’T be grabbed without her consent. #DontFuckWithMyFreedom pic.twitter.com/hBDzuflKF1

— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) June 4, 2019

"She CAN'T be grabbed without her consent," Cyrus wrote on Twitter, responding to trolls on the website who suggested her choice of lyrics or clothes meant she was to blame for suffering the spontaneous attack. "She can be wearing what she wants."

The Wrecking Ball singer repeated the message on her Instagram stories, posting the hashtag "#StillNotAskingForIt" over screenshots of comments from some of her followers, including one which said: "You wanted to be 'sexy,' what did you expect?"

Cyrus's security guard wrestled the man away while the 26-year-old was escorted to the car by her husband, the Hunger Games actor Liam Hemsworth.