Taylor Swift’s father Scott Swift accused of assaulting photographer

Taylor Swift with her father, Scott
Australian police are investigating an allegation by a paparazzo that he was assaulted by Taylor Swift’s father.

Ben McDonald, 51, accused Scott Swift, 71, of striking his face on a wharf in Sydney early on Tuesday.

The alleged incident happened soon after Mr Swift and his pop megastar daughter had disembarked a boat and were confronted by photographers.

Mr McDonald did not need medical treatment, police said. Mr Swift has not made public comment.

A video published by Australian media shows the singer, who is concealed beneath an umbrella, walking with her father and security guards along Neutral Bay Wharf about 02:30 local time (15:30 GMT Monday).

Cameras flash before two voices – reported to be a photographer and a guard – are heard accusing each other of touching umbrellas. It is unclear whether the footage captures the alleged incident.

The singer had just performed to another sell-out crowd for the final Australian concert in her immensely popular Eras tour.

“The younger man reported the incident and inquiries are now under way by officers attached to North Shore Police Area Command,” New South Wales Police said in a statement.

Taylor Swift’s Dad Scott Involved in Police Investigation After Allegedly Assaulting Photographer in Australia

Taylor Swift’s dad, Scott Swift, is currently enveloped in an Australian investigation pertaining to an alleged assault involving a paparazzi photographer.

According to TheAustralian.com, the alleged incident occurred Tuesday around 2:30 a.m. at the Neutral Bay Wharf as Taylor and Scott were disembarking from a ferry and bombarded by people waiting for them. The father and daughter were reportedly returning from celebrations at the end of the Sydney leg of her Eras Tour, which followed a previous Australian stop in Melbourne.

In a statement, the New South Wales Police Media Unit tells ET, “Police are investigating an alleged assault on Sydney’s North Shore this morning. Police have been told a 71-year-old man allegedly assaulted a 51-year-old man at Neutral Bay Wharf about 2.30am (Tuesday 27 February 2024), before leaving the location. The younger man reported the incident and inquiries are now underway by officers attached to North Shore Police Area Command.”

While police did not confirm the identities of those involved, the outlet that first reported the alleged incident named Swift as the 71-year-old and photographer Ben McDonald as the 51-year-old. McDonald spoke with NCA Newswire and alleged that Scott became aggressive with him as they neared the group of paparazzi waiting.

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“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” McDonald alleged, adding that he called the police to report the incident but did not require medical services.

A spokesperson for the singer tells ET, “Two individuals were aggressively pushing their way towards Taylor, grabbing at her security personnel, and threatening to throw a female staff member into the water.”

In his interview with NewsWire, McDonald said that he only realized that the alleged assailant happened to be Taylor’s dad — who was seen during her Sydney Eras Tour shows, including in one video with Rebel Wilson — until after the fact.

“I looked back at the pictures and saw he was holding hands with Taylor. It then became evident that was her father,” the paparazzi photographer told the outlet, claiming he has a “bruised ego more than anything.”

McDonald also shared footage with the outlet which appears to show Taylor — covered underneath an umbrella — and Scott walking up a dock ramp before another umbrella cuts off the camera angle and two voices are heard telling each other to not touch the other person’s umbrella.

The video ends with another voice saying “wasn’t me,” which the photographer claims was one Taylor’s security guards, seemingly releasing himself of responsibility for the alleged incident.

The matter remains under investigation with Australian authorities at this time.