Australian police are looking into allegations that Taylor Swift's father, who her devoted admirers refer to as "Papa Swift," attacked a photographer in the wee hours of Tuesday morning as he was stepping off a superyacht.
According to police spokesperson Alicia McCumstie, "police have been told a 71-year-old man allegedly assaulted a 51-year-old man at Neutral Bay Wharf about 2:30 am, before leaving the location."
Suspects are not formally identified by Australian police.
But the man charged was identified as Scott, Swift's father, by both a law enforcement source and the purported victim, experienced photographer Ben McDonald.
McDonald claimed to have been shooting photos of the US music sensation and her group aboard a lavish superyacht in Sydney Harbor, where they were presumably celebrating late into the night following the final of her four sold-out shows in the city.
McDonald claims that when Swift and the entourage disembarked and made their way down the pier to a waiting car, her security detail blocked his face with an umbrella in order to avoid photos.
Additionally, he said that after Swift left, an older man approached him and "took it further."
According to McDonald, "He punched me in the chops," as per AFP. "It was unexpected. I had never experienced that in my 26 years."
The photographer claimed, "I didn't know who he was," and that at first he thought it could have been a local security contractor who was overly enthusiastic and "trying to impress the Americans".
"But I looked at photos and saw him holding hands with Taylor, and it was her dad," he explained.
Scott Swift "has left the country," according to police, but they stressed that investigations were still ongoing.
-"Set Scott Swift Free"-
Regarding Scott Swift's involvement in the incident, a representative for Taylor Swift remained silent.
The spokesperson refuted the accusations, claiming that anonymous individuals near the water's edge were pushing and becoming aggressive.
"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," a spokeswoman told AFP.
There were no other incident details provided.
Taylor Swift is now on her massive global tour, the Eras Tour, which according to Pollstar is predicted to earn over $1 billion, making it the highest-grossing musical tour ever.
She departed Australia for Singapore, where she will perform for six sold-out concerts at the National Stadium in front of over 300,000 people.
Swift's father was swiftly defended by her online supporters. "Free Scott Swift," tweeted user @Soyytv.
The beloved "Papa Swift" has gained popularity by giving young audience members of his daughter's shows VIP passes, sandwiches, fruit, and guitar picks.
Scott Swift used to work as a financial advisor, but now days he frequently attends his daughter's events and public appearances, including this month's Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
End//voice7news.tv
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