Taylor Swift’s father is said to have been violent towards a paparazzo on the Australian leg of her “Eras” tour. The Australian authorities are currently investigating the allegation. 51-year-old Ben McDonald told the Australian Guardian that he photographed Swift on Tuesday night (local time) as the superstar celebrated on a luxury yacht in the harbor after the last of four concerts in the metropolis. When the singer finally left the boat around 2:30 a.m. surrounded by security forces, they pressed umbrellas into his face and against his camera.
As he tried to get into his car, he was hit in the face, said the photographer. “I didn’t know it was her father at first,” he said. He only identified him later based on photos. “It was a bit of a shock, but I’ll leave the job to the police,” McDonald said.
Swift’s reps immediately denied the paparazzo’s allegations. In fact, the photographer is no stranger. A few years ago he was in a legal dispute with Hollywood star Nicole Kidman. As People magazine reported at the time, Kidman won a court case against McDonald and one of his colleagues in 2005 after a wiretapping bug was found at their Sydney home. Kidman said at the time that she was unable to leave her house because she was afraid of the two men.
According to their statements in court, a restraining order was granted against the men. They were ordered not to approach the actress’ house again.
According to Page Six, Swift’s team presents what happened in Sydney differently than McDonald. “Two people aggressively approached Taylor, grabbed her security guards and threatened to throw a female staff member into the water,” the singer said.
Sources: DPA / “Page Six” / “People” / “Guardian”
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