Celebrity News November 18, 2023
Taylor Swift 'Devastated' as Fan Dies Before Brazil Eras Tour Show
Taylor Swift spoke out in grief late Friday to acknowledge the sudden death of one of her fans, a young woman who died after taking ill at the site of her first Eras tour concert in Brazil.
"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," read the note, in handwriting font, on her Instagram Stories. "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."
The fan has been identified as Ana Clara Benevides Machado, 23. Machado reportedly felt sick while at the venue in Rio de Janeiro, was seen by medical personnel, and died at Salagdo Filho Hospital after being rushed there for treatment.
One of the concert's organizers, Time for Fun, confirmed the details of Machado's passing.
"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," she went on, confirming she will not address the tragedy at a future show. "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."
As "RIP Ana" trended on Twitter, fans shared stories about conditions in Estadio Nilton Santos, saying the heat was overwhelming. At one point, Swift was captured on video saying, "There's people that need water right here," and pointing to a group of fans waving water bottles, which were reportedly disallowed by the venue.
In the video, Swift herself confirmed the stadium was sweltering, noting, "Sorry, it's just it's very hot, so if somebody says they need water when it's this hot, they really need it."
On Saturday, Swifties arriving for her next show confirmed water bottles are now allowed by the venue, and that fans had been set up on the floor of the venue.
Swift's welcome to Brazil was eye-popping — authorities in São Paulo projected an image of a baggy T-shirt bearing the names of Brazilian states onto the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue. A scarf and a bow and arrow, both Swift references, also appeared on the shirt.
Mayor Eduardo Paes compared Swift to Madonna and Michael Jackson, praising her for visiting Brazil and saying, "Welcome, Taylor Swift."