Scott Swift, the father of Taylor Swift, will not be charged for reportedly punching a photographer in Australia, according to confirmation by the New South Wales Police Force to CBS News.
In February, while Swift was in Melbourne for her Eras Tour, an incident took place. The pop star and her father, who was 71 years old at the time, were disembarking from a yacht at the Neutral Bay Wharf. It was during this moment that Ben McDonald, a seasoned paparazzi photographer, was capturing photos of them, as reported by the Associated Press.
A representative for Taylor Swift informed CBS News that two individuals were forcefully approaching Taylor, attempting to grab her security personnel, and making threats to throw a female staff member into the water.
According to McDonald, he informed the police that Swift had assaulted him. He further recounted, “There were around four or five security personnel present, and at one instance, an American security guard aggressively pushed his umbrella towards me and my camera. Shortly after, Taylor quickly got into her car.”
McDonald added that another person approached him and delivered a punch to the left side of his face. At first, he assumed it was an Australian security personnel attempting to showcase their bravery in front of the Americans. However, it transpired to be the father of the individual involved in the incident.
According to AFP reports, McDonald reported the alleged incident to the police, although fortunately, he did not sustain any serious injuries.
The New South Wales Police Force is currently investigating an incident that occurred at 2:30 a.m., involving a 71-year-old man who allegedly assaulted a 51-year-old man. Although the names of those involved have not been released, the police are actively looking into the matter.
McDonald later recognized Scott Swift from an online photo. He expressed his shock, stating, “In all my 23 years of experience, I have never been physically attacked or punched in the face, especially not by the father of the talent.”
Scott Swift departed from Australia, according to the police. Following her seven sold-out stadium concerts in the country, Taylor Swift also left via private jet.
Fans on social media came to the defense of Scott, who is affectionately known as “Papa Swift” by his supporters.
According to CBS News, the police have concluded their investigation and have decided not to take any further action regarding the incident.
