Taylor Swift has been incredibly busy as of late, and I’m not referring to the various appearances she made at Kansas City Chiefs games to support boyfriend Travis Kelce. She’s currently embarking on the international leg of the Eras Tour and most recently performed seven shows across Sydney and Melbourne in Australia. All the while, a situation involving Swift’s father, Scott, has cropped up, as the patriarch has been accused of assaulting photographers while in the Land Down Under. Now, Taylor’s camp has issued a response to the accusations.
It was recently reported that a 51-year-old man was supposedly assaulted by a 71-year-old man during the early Tuesday morning hours. The alleged incident is said to have occurred at Neutral Bay Wharf as Taylor was leaving a yacht. Scott Swift was not specifically named by local authorities as the supposed assailant. In the aftermath, Team Swift shared a statement with Page Six:
Two individuals were aggressively pushing their way towards Taylor, grabbing at her security personnel, and threatening to throw a female staff member into the water.
One of the photographers at the center of the incident is Ben McDonald, who accused the Grammy winner’s dad of causing him harm. As McDonald put it, the reported incident left him with “a sore chop and a bruised ego.” The paparazzo discussed his account of the situation, which was shared with News.com.au. He described the purported moment he was near the "Willow" singer as follows:
As she got closer, the security shoved his umbrella in my face and camera, then as she got in the car her dad decides to charge me and punch me in the chop. …I didn’t realise it was her dad to start with. I looked back at the pictures and saw he was holding hands with Taylor - it then became evident that was her father.
Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce: A Timeline Of Their Relationship
Ultimately, Ben McDonald did not require any medical treatment. The man – who runs Matrix photo agency – stated that he found the situation to be a “shock.” He believes it was all unnecessary, as “security had it under control.” McDonald also stated that he’ll “leave it in the police’s hands now.”
It’s said that around the time the purported assault occurred, Taylor Swift and her dad were celebrating after her final show in Sydney. By all accounts, her time in Australia was incredibly eventful ahead of this reported situation. She performed in front of hundreds of thousands of fans, who yelled “Sydney” while she sang “Blank Space.” Also present was Travis Kelce, who pitched in during the tour by handing out guitar picks to fans. (That’s a task that’s usually reserved for Scott.) Taylor and Kelce also took a trip to the Sydney Zoo, and PETA later criticized them for not visiting a sanctuary instead.
As of this writing, Taylor Swift -- who's been showing love to her international fans -- and her brood have departed Australia, and she’s making her way to Singapore for the next portion of her tour. Time will tell if or when further details on this situation allegedly involving her father will emerge.
