Taylor Swift grieves death of fan who died before Brazil concert

MANILA, Philippines – In an Instagram story posted on Saturday, November 18 (Manila time), Taylor Swift grieved the death of a fan who died before the first leg of the Eras Tour in Brazil, which was held at the Estádio Nilton Santos stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

“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. I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this,” she said in a handwritten letter.

The fan was revealed to be 23-year-old Ana Benevides. Swift shared that there was very limited information as of writing but that she knew the late fan was “so incredibly beautiful and far too young.”

“I’m not going to be able to speak about this on stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it,” Swift continued.

According to Vulture, Brazilian news outlet Folha de S. Paulo reported that when Benevides fainted, she was revived at the concert venue and was rushed to a hospital. However, she eventually succumbed to a cardiorespiratory arrest.

The Brazilian news outlet also reported that firefighters estimated that about 1,000 fans fainted at the concert venue as temperatures reached what had apparently felt like 60ºC.

Other fans who were at the venue alleged that they were prohibited from bringing water bottles inside despite the high temperatures.

“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,” the American pop star added.

The Rio de Janeiro show on November 18 was the first of five shows scheduled to take place in Brazil for Swift’s Eras Tour. The next concert is scheduled for November 19 at the same venue, while the last three legs of the tour’s Brazil stop will be held from November 24 to 26 at the Allianz Parque in Sau Paulo. – Rappler.com