Ben McDonald (left) has told police he was punched by Taylor Swift's father (far right). Photos: AP, AFP
Australian police said they were investigating a 71-year-old man for the alleged assault of a photographer in Sydney in the early hours of Feb 27. The accuser identified the man as Taylor Swift’s father.
“Police have been told a 71-year-old man allegedly assaulted a 51-year-old man at Neutral Bay Wharf 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.”
The alleged victim, Ben McDonald, told AFP the man was Swift’s dad, Scott Swift.
McDonald said he had been photographing the US pop icon on a “super yacht” in Sydney Harbour after the last of her four gigs in the city.
He alleges that Swift’s security put an umbrella in his face to prevent him from taking photographs of Swift, who was walking down the jetty to a waiting vehicle.
After Swift departed, McDonald claimed a man confronted him and “he 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.”
“It was a shock. That’s never happened to me in 26 years,” he said.
A spokesperson for Swift accused two unnamed individuals of pushing, grabbing and threatening behaviour at the time a photographer was allegedly assaulted by the star’s father in Sydney early on Feb 27.
“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 spokesperson told AFP.
Australian police do not usually publicly identify people accused or alleging crimes.
Swift is in the midst of her worldwide blockbuster Eras Tour.
She will head to Singapore this week for the next leg of what is expected to be the highest-grossing musical tour of all time at more than US$1bil (RM4.78bil), according to Pollstar. – AFP
