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Taylor Swift's father investigated over alleged assault

February 27, 2024

The American singer has been performing at packed arenas in Sydney and Melbourne as part of her Eras Tour. Now a photographer in Australia has accused her father of assault.

https://p.dw.com/p/4cv2U
Taylor Swift and her father Scott Kingsley Swift
A photographer alleged that Taylor Swift's father (right) assaulted him near Sydney harborImage: Maddie Meyer/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

An Australian photographer alleged he was assaulted by Taylor Swift's father in Sydney early on Tuesday morning after her final concert in the city, prompting a police investigation.

"Police have been told a 71-year-old man allegedly assaulted a 51-year-old man at Neutral Bay Wharf about 2:30 a.m. (1530 UTC Monday), before leaving the location," a New South Wales Police spokesperson told the AFP news agency, without naming either man.

"The younger man reported the incident and inquiries are now under way by officers attached to North Shore Police Area Command."

Swift's spokesperson responded, accusing two individuals of acting "aggressively" at the time of the alleged incident.

"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," they said in a statement to Rolling Stone.

Swift is currently in the midst of her Eras Tour, which included stadium shows in Sydney and Melbourne. The worldwide tour has so far grossed more than $1 billion (€922 million).

What did the accuser say?

The alleged victim told the AFP news agency that he had been taking pictures of the US pop star on her "super yacht" in Sydney's famous harbor.

The photographer alleged that Swift's entourage used umbrellas to prevent him from taking photos of the singer who was walking down the jetty to a waiting vehicle.

After the singer departed, the male photographer alleged that a man confronted him and "punched me in the chops."

"I didn't know who he was, but I looked at photos and saw him holding hands with Taylor, and it was her dad," he said. "It was a shock."

zc/jsi (AFP, Reuters)