NSW police probe assault claim against Swift’s dad
Police are investigating an alleged assault claim against the father of global pop culture phenomenon Taylor Swift.
Paparazzi photographer Ben McDonald alleges Swift’s father, Scott Swift, assaulted him at Sydney’s ferry wharves early on Tuesday morning.
He told NCA NewsWire he had been covering Taylor’s outing on Sydney Harbour at the time of the alleged attack, which left him with “a sore chop and a bruised ego”.
“Police have been told a 71-year-old man allegedly assaulted a 51-year-old man at Neutral Bay Wharf about 2.30am before leaving the location,” a NSW Police spokesman confirmed on Tuesday morning.
“The younger man reported the incident and inquiries are now under way by officers attached to North Shore Police Area Command.
The Karma songstress and her father, affectionately named Papa Swift by her legion of fans, had been out celebrating her final Sydney show when the incident occured.
Video of the incident shows security guards with umbrellas waiting at the wharf for Swift to arrive. As the pair walk up from the wharf the umbrellas block the view as the photographers begin to take photos.
The photographer, who owns photo agency Matrix, told NCA NewsWire the “crazy” incident unfolded after she disembarked the boat at Neutral Bay wharf, flanked by security.
“As she got closer, the security shoved his umbrella in my face and camera, then as she got in the car her dad decides to charge me and punch me in the chops” he alleged.
Mr McDonald quipped while one security guard was quick to say “that wasn’t me”, he didn’t realise who it was until later on.
“I didn’t realise it was her dad to start with,” he said.
“I looked back at the pictures and saw he was holding hands with Taylor - it then became evident that was her father.”
While the photographer has a “sore chop” from the incident, he said it was “just a bruised ego more than anything”.
Mr McDonald did not require any medical treatment, police confirmed.
Taylor Swift was in Sydney for the Australian leg of her worldwide Eras Tour, selling 600,000 tickets to Australian fans.
The popstar and her team partied until the early hours onboard the luxury 120ft superyacht Quantum.
