Taylor Swift’s father ‘punched me’, says photographer
SYDNEY – Australian police are investigating claims that Taylor Swift’s father assaulted a photographer when the American pop star and her entourage were disembarking a super yacht in the early hours of Feb 27.
“Police have been told a 71-year-old man allegedly assaulted a 51-year-old man at Neutral Bay Wharf at about 2.30am, before leaving the location,” police spokeswoman Alicia McCumstie told AFP.
“The younger man reported the incident, and inquiries are now under way by officers attached to North Shore Police Area Command.”
Australian police do not usually formally identify people accused of or alleging crimes.
But a law enforcement source and the alleged victim, veteran photographer Ben McDonald, both told AFP the man was the star’s dad, Mr Scott Swift.
Mr McDonald said he had been photographing the singer on a super yacht in Sydney Harbour after the last of her four sold-out gigs in the city.
He alleges that Swift’s security put an umbrella in his face to prevent him from taking photographs as she was walking down the jetty to a waiting vehicle.
After she departed, Mr McDonald claimed a man confronted him and “took it further”.
“He punched me in the chops”, the photographer said.
“I didn’t know who he was,” added Mr McDonald, who initially thought it may have been an overzealous local security contractor “trying to impress the Americans”.
“But I looked at photos and saw him holding hands with Taylor, and it was her dad,” he said.
“It was a shock. That’s never happened to me in 26 years.”
A spokesman for Swift responded to the allegation, claiming there had been pushing and aggression from unnamed people at the waterside.
“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,” the spokesman told AFP.
Swift’s representative did not comment on the alleged assault by her father, or respond to requests for further clarification about what took place.
The star is in the midst of her worldwide blockbuster Eras Tour, which is expected to be the highest-grossing musical tour at more than US$1 billion (S$1.34 billion), according to Pollstar.
She will head to Singapore this week to perform.
The police refused to comment on whether Mr Swift had been contacted or questioned in advance of the group’s departure.
Online, fans rushed to the defence of the man whom some fans dub Papa Swift.
“Free Scott Swift,” posted social media user @Soyytv. – AFP
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