Taylor Swift Meets With Family of Fan Who Died in Brazil

November 26, 2023 98

Taylor Swift is doing what she can to bring some closure and peace after a tragedy. The “Anti-Hero” singer made time before her show on Sunday to meet with the family of Ana Clara Benevides Machado.

The family of the 23-year-old college student — who died hours before Swift’s concert in Rio on Nov. 17 due to cardiac arrest, likely as a result of the extreme heat wave — came out to Allianz Parque stadium in São Paulo.

Before Sunday’s Eras Tour show kicked off, Swift met with and posed for photos with the family, which were later posted to social media.

In the group pic, the family members stood on either side of Swift and smiled, while wearing T-shirts with Benevides’ face printed on the front.

In a statement posted to Instagram the morning after Benevides’ death, the “Lover” singer said she was “devastated” by the tragic events.

“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,” Swift wrote in an Instagram story. “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.”

“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. 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,” she continued.

According to Time for Fun, one of the event’s organizers, Benevides felt unwell and was promptly tended to by paramedics before being taken to the stadium’s medical center. She was then transported to a nearby hospital where she died. Local reports indicate she died after going into cardiac arrest.

Swift ended up postponing the show that was originally scheduled for Nov. 18 out of concern for everyone’s safety.

When she returned to the stage in Rio on Monday, Nov. 20, Swift appeared to honor Benevides when she sang an emotionally-charged song about loss.

The 33-year-old singer performed “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” as one of her surprise songs as she played a rain-soaked set at Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos. The song, which is featured as a bonus track on her Midnights — 3am Edition, includes the lyrics: “Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye / You were bigger than the whole sky / You were more than just a short time.” Swift appeared to become emotional as she sang, but did not offer any commentary about the choice of song.

Sunday’s show in São Paulo is the last on her Eras Tour for the year. Swift is set to break for two months over the holiday season before picking back up in Tokyo, Japan, on Feb. 7.

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