UPDATE 5:45 P.M. PST: Taylor’s team has released a statement on the alleged incident. According to their version of events, “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.” Oof. Sounds scary.
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Scott Swift is being accused of assaulting a paparazzo after his daughter’s final Eras Tour show in Sydney.
It’s being reported that on Tuesday Australian time, the 71-year-old patriarch and Taylor Swift were out around 2:30 a.m. following her last concert in the city. They were apparently at a ferry wharf in in the suburb of Neutral Bay when paparazzi swarmed the area as the father/daughter duo exited the superyacht Quantum — which photogs say they travelled on from another area in the city.
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It was then, police report, that Ben McDonald claims he was allegedly struck by Scott in the left side of his face, alleging he was “charged” at by an agitated Poppa Swift, according to DailyMail.com. The photog is the CEO of Matrix Media Group, and he explained the situation to the outlet like this:
“In 23 years of taking pictures, I have never seen anything like it. He probably decided he needed to defend his daughter, for some reason. She got off the boat, she walked towards security guards who were shoving umbrellas in our faces, and then he charged.”
Footage from the alleged incident shows Taylor and Scott walking along the wharf with large umbrellas attempting to block them from view of the paparazzi.
It was at this moment the reporter started shooting pics of the pair, to which a security guard warned him not to touch the umbrellas. Before you know it there’s a rustling behind the umbrella and the security guard shouts:
“It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me.”
And McDonald responded:
“Who was that?”
After this, he claims he immediately went to the police station in The Rocks to report the alleged incident. He says he didn’t require any medical attention and doesn’t believe his injuries will be long-lasting, but did add that his “chops” are “very sore” where he was allegedly struck.
Tay’s reps have been contacted for comment, but so far no word back. What do U think about these claims, Perezcious readers?
[Image via MEGA/WENN.com]