Published: 6:53 pm PST, December 27, 2023
The cause of death of Ana Clara Benevides Machado has been announced. According to The Associated Press, which obtained the forensic report from the Forensic Medical Institute in Rio this week, the Brazilian Taylor Swift fan died of heat exhaustion before the singer's Eras Tour stop in Rio de Janeiro in November when the heat index rose 140 degrees rose and the fans died, bringing in water was supposedly forbidden.
According to the source, exposure to the heat led to cardiac arrest and “sudden death.” Ana had no pre-existing conditions or substance abuse that could have contributed to her death, the outlet reports. She was 23.
Back in November, one of the event organizers, Time for Fun, wrote on his verified X account that Ana felt unwell before the concert and was immediately attended to by paramedics before being taken to the stadium's medical center. She was then transported to a nearby hospital where she died.
Following Ana's death, Taylor responded to the tragedy, writing on her Instagram Story: “I can't believe I'm writing these words but with a broken heart I say we lost a fan before my show tonight.”
“I can’t tell you how devastated I am about this. I have very little information other than the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and way too young,” Swift wrote. “I won't be able to talk about it on stage because I'll be overwhelmed with grief if I even try to talk about it. I want to say now that I feel this loss deeply and my heartbreak goes out to her family and other friends. That’s the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil.”
Although Taylor didn't address Ana's death onstage, she appeared to pay homage to the late fan as she sang the devastating track “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” as one of her surprise songs.
Ana's father, Weiny Machado, previously reacted to her death, telling Folha de São Paulo: “I lost my only daughter, a happy and intelligent girl. She wanted to get her degree in psychology next April and save money while doing it. I don’t have the words for it.” My pain. She left home to fulfill a dream and came back dead… Nothing will bring my daughter back, but I hope that if the negligence is confirmed, someone will be punished so that this doesn't happen to anyone else. “
Shortly afterwards, Taylor welcomed Ana's family to her concert in São Paulo, where she met them before taking the stage.
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