Taylor Swift’s father, Scott Swift, aged 71, is reportedly facing accusations of assaulting an Australian photographer early Tuesday morning.
Authorities in New South Wales are investigating an incident in which Scott is accused of attacking Ben McDonald, aged 51, at a ferry terminal in Sydney.
A representative for Swift stated, “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.”
According to Page Six, the alleged assault occurred at 2:30 am on Tuesday, though McDonald did not seek any medical care.
McDonald shared with the Daily Mail that Scott “charged” at him as the father-daughter duo disembarked from their yacht at the end of the night.
“She (Taylor) got off the boat, walked towards the security guards who were shoving umbrellas in our faces, and then he charged,” McDonald told the media.
McDonald claimed that Scott hit him on the left side of his face, leaving him with “very sore chops.”
The photographer insisted to the Daily Mail that he had not provoked Scott in any way.
“He probably decided he needed to defend his daughter, for some reason,” McDonald said. “In 23 years, I have never seen anything like it.”
Scott has frequently been seen at Taylor’s concerts throughout her Eras Tour. In a notable moment in November, Taylor altered the lyrics of her song “Karma” to give a nod to her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, who was watching the concert alongside her father.
A representative for the acclaimed musician conveyed to Page Six that “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.”
Photos captured during the time of the reported incident show Scott and Swift walking off the dock, with a black umbrella covering her from the waist up.
Although Scott didn’t use the umbrella for himself, he was observed near his daughter, extending his arm to navigate her path.
They were joined by at least two security personnel, one of whom pointed a flashlight in the direction of the awaiting photographers.
The Daily Mail also secured video evidence of the supposed confrontation, showing Swift and her father progressing from the dock while their security team blocked the photographers’ line of sight.
One of the security officers then instructed the photographers to “maintain distance from the vehicle.”
As Scott and Swift approached their car, the footage shows a sudden movement as if two individuals collided, especially when the cameraman got closer to the vehicle’s open door.
“Who was that dude?” was overheard from the cameraman as he recovered from a fall.
