It has been reported that Taylor Swift’s father may have physically assaulted a photographer following the conclusion of her Eras Tour in Australia.
On Tuesday, in Melbourne, Australia, a photographer reported to the authorities that he was physically assaulted by Taylor Swift’s father on the Sydney waterfront. This incident occurred shortly after the conclusion of the pop star’s tour in Australia.
According to Ben McDonald, he gave a statement to the police stating that Scott Swift had physically attacked him at Neutral Bay Wharf. This incident occurred after the father and daughter had returned to shore from a yacht.
Don Arnold / TAS24 / Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
McDonald stated that he had been photographing the famous singer and her group on a luxurious yacht in Sydney Harbor, as they celebrated late into the night after the Australian portion of her Eras Tour came to an end.
The Associated Press sent an email requesting a comment from Taylor Swift’s representative, but there was no immediate response.
However, a representative for the celebrity informed Rolling Stone magazine that during the occurrence, two individuals were forcefully attempting to reach Taylor Swift and physically confronted security while also making threats towards a member of her team.
The New South Wale Police Force media office confirmed that police were investigating the alleged assault of a 51-year-old man by a 71-year-old man at 2:30 a.m. Police did not release names, in accordance with their policy for such allegations.
According to AFP, a law enforcement source named Scott Swift as the individual accused, in addition to McDonald.
According to AFP, Australian authorities report that Scott Swift has departed the country, but investigations are ongoing.
On Tuesday, Taylor Swift departed Australia on a private plane following seven stadium concerts that were attended by over 600,000 fans. Her next destination is Singapore, where she will be performing at the National Stadium for six sold-out shows. According to AFP, over 300,000 tickets were purchased by fans for these concerts.
According to McDonald, the media had been anticipating the opportunity to capture photos of the celebrity as she made her way from the jetty to two waiting cars accompanied by her entourage.
McDonald informed the AP that there were approximately four or five security personnel present. At a certain moment, one of the American security members aggressively pushed their umbrella towards me and my camera. Shortly after, Taylor entered her vehicle.
Another person approached me and hit the left side of my face. At first, I thought it was an Australian security guard trying to impress the Americans, but it was actually her father,” McDonald explained.
McDonald became aware that the person who allegedly attacked him was not a member of the security team when he came across a picture of them holding hands with Swift while going through photos from the event. McDonald then positively identified Scott Swift from an image he found online.
McDonald stated that there was no justification for any violent actions.
“We refrained from hurriedly going down the jetty or to the back of the boat. Instead, we patiently waited for her to approach us. The situation was handled in a calm and respectful manner,” he stated.
Unfortunately, instead of being considerate, they chose to put up their umbrellas, cover her with umbrellas, and aggressively push the umbrellas towards us. They then tried to frame us as the ones initiating contact.
According to AFP, fans of Taylor Swift quickly came to the defense of her father on social media. One user, @Soyytv, posted “Free Scott Swift.”
According to AFP, the man known as “Papa Swift” has gained a following among fans by giving out sandwiches, fruit, guitar picks, and VIP passes to young concert-goers at his daughter’s shows.
Following a successful career as a financial advisor, Scott Swift frequently attends concerts and public events featuring Taylor Swift.
Source: cbsnews.com