Taylor Swift took to social media and said she was “overwhelmed by grief” after a fan died before her Eras Tour show began in Brazil on Friday.
“I can’t believe I’m writing these words but it is with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show,” Swift wrote in a statement shared to her Instagram Story. “I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this. There’s very little information I have other than the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young.”
She continued, “I’m not going to be able to speak about this from stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it. I want to say now I feel this loss deeply and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends. This is the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil.”
It was the first of three concerts in Rio De Janeiro as part of her international world tour, following stops in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Folha de S. Paulo, a Brazilian daily newspaper, reported that Ana Clara Benevides, 23, had fainted and was transferred to a hospital where she later died of cardiorespiratory arrest.
Footage taken during the concert shows Swift had paused the performance to indicate fans who needed water in the audience and at one point could be seen throwing water into the crowd. “There’s people that need water right here, maybe 30, 35, 40 feet back,” she said while in the middle of a set. “So whoever is in charge of giving them that, just make sure that happens. Can I get a signal that you know where they are?”
The concert producer, T4F, released a statement Friday, “It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Ana Clara Benevides Machado, 23 years old. Last night [Friday, 17th], Ana Clara felt unwell and was promptly attended to by the team of brigade members and paramedics, being taken to the Nilton Santos Stadium’s medical center for first aid protocol. Given the situation, the medical team opted to transfer her to Hospital Salgado Filho, where, after almost an hour of emergency care, she unfortunately died. To the family and friends of Ana Clara Benevides Machado, our sincere feelings.”
Taylor Swift’s first concert in Brazil was attended by 60,000 people; more than a thousand people passed out during the show, according to Rio de Janeiro’s Fire Department. Justice Minister Flávio Dino said on social media that the ministry will implement “emergency rules” regarding access to water at shows and other public events.”
Rio’s mayor Eduardo Paes said called the fan’s death “unacceptable, and determined a change in Swift’s next two concerts’ strategy, opening the stadium one hour before, adding new water distribution checkpoints and making more brigades available.
Source: Rolling Stone
