The photographer, aged 51, alleges that he was struck in the ribs by the father of pop star Taylor Swift while disembarking from a yacht located north of Sydney. Currently, Taylor Swift is in the midst of her global music tour titled “Eras Tour” which, after wrapping up in Australia, will head towards Singapore.
An investigation was initiated on Tuesday in Australia following a complaint lodged by a photographer who alleges to have been assaulted by Scott Swift, the father of American singer Taylor Swift. Alicia McCumstie, a police spokesperson, stated, “Police were made aware of accusations against a 71-year-old man for assaulting a 51-year-old man at Neutral Bay Wharf,” a ferry terminal in northern Sydney. She further added that the younger man reported the incident and the investigation is currently ongoing.
The identities of individuals under investigation are typically not disclosed by Australian police. However, a police source and the alleged victim, photographer Ben McDonald, both shared with AFP that the person in question was none other than Scott Swift, the pop star’s father.
According to Ben McDonald, he was photographing Taylor Swift on a yacht in Sydney Harbor following her city tour when members of the singer’s security team allegedly obstructed his view with an umbrella. This occurred as Swift was disembarking the yacht to join a vehicle on the pier.
Assault in the ribs
The photographer claims that post this incident, he was “struck in the ribs” by a man. He stated, “I didn’t recognize him initially but upon reviewing the photographs, I saw him holding Taylor’s hands and realized it was her father.” He expressed his shock over the incident, mentioning that such an event had never occurred in his 26 years of career.
A spokesperson for Taylor Swift addressed the allegations by mentioning that there had been instances of aggressive behavior and physical confrontations involving unidentified individuals at the beachfront. The spokesperson told AFP, “Two individuals aggressively approached Taylor, manhandled her security personnel and threatened to throw an employee into the water.” However, the spokesperson did not comment on the assault allegations against the star’s father and did not provide further details regarding the incident.
The internationally acclaimed singer is currently in the middle of her world tour, the «Eras Tour», which is projected to generate a total of two billion dollars in revenue. This comes after the tour already broke the billion-dollar mark last year, setting a new record in the music industry. She is scheduled to perform in Singapore later this week as part of her ongoing tour dates.
The police did not disclose whether Scott Swift had been contacted or questioned prior to the group’s departure. On social media platforms, fans of the singer have come forth to support Scott Swift, fondly referred to as «Papa Swift» by some.
