Photo: Buda Mendes/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Taylor Swift mourns the death of a fan who died during the final stop of the Eras Tour in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “I can’t believe I’m writing these words, but it’s with a broken heart that I say we lost a fan before my show tonight,” Swift wrote in a handwritten statement shared on her Instagram Story. “I can’t tell you how devastated I am about this. I have very little information about the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young.” Brazilian daily Folha de S. Paulo reported that 23-year-old Ana Clara Benevides fainted at the Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos concert hall and was resuscitated. She was then taken to a hospital, where she ultimately died of cardiac arrest. Her death was confirmed to Folha by Benevides’ cousin Estela Benevides. It’s unclear whether Benevides was able to see Swift on stage when the show began around 7:30 p.m. local time.
Swift’s show coincided with a heatwave in Brazil, with Folha reporting that the “feels like” temperature locally was 140°F. According to Folha, firefighters unofficially recorded that a thousand people fainted at the show. Some fans claimed on social media that the venue did not allow concertgoers to bring water bottles despite the extreme temperatures. Footage captured by fans shows Swift stopping the show to point out that fans needed water and at one point was seen throwing a water bottle herself into the audience.
In her Instagram Story statement, Swift said she won’t be able to talk about her fan’s death on stage because she feels “overwhelmed with grief” when she tries to talk about it. “I want to say now that I feel this loss deeply and my heartbreak goes out to her family and friends,” Swift said. “That was the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil.”
This is a developing story.