..wounds after Manchester Attack
The star says an attack at a show is her biggest fear and that a lot of planning went into safety during her Reputation tour.
Taylor Swift has told how attacks such as the Manchester Arena bombing and the Las Vegas concert shooting made her “terrified” of touring, and revealed she carries “army-grade bandages for gunshot or stab wounds”.
The singer, who is one of the world’s biggest pop stars, said she worried about keeping fans safe on her Reputation tour, which saw three million people going to her shows over seven months in 2018.
Opening up in a self-penned piece on the “30 things I learned before turning 30” for Elle magazine in the US, the star said her worries had also spilled over into her personal life.
In a section titled “My biggest fear”, Swift said: “After the Manchester Arena bombing and the Vegas concert shooting, I was completely terrified to go on tour this time because I didn’t know how we were going to keep three million fans safe over seven months.”
She said “a tremendous amount of planning, expense and effort” was made to keep people safe at her shows.
“My fear of violence has continued into my personal life,” she said. “I carry QuikClot army grade bandage dressing, which is for gunshot or stab wounds.”
Swift, famous for hits including Shake It Off, I Knew You Were Trouble and Look What You Made Me Do, said all of her home addresses had been revealed online over the years.
She continued: “You get enough stalkers trying to break into your house and you kind of start prepping for bad things.”
In the piece, Swift spoke about her parents, saying that her mother is being treated for cancer for the second time.
“Both of my parents have had cancer, and my mum is now fighting her battle with it again,” she said. “It’s taught me that there are real problems and then there’s everything else.
“My mum’s cancer is a real problem. I used to be so anxious about daily ups and downs. I give all of my worry, stress, and prayers to real problems now.”
Swift also spoke about sexual abuse, saying: “It’s my opinion that in cases of sexual assault, I believe the victim.”
Referencing the assault trial she won against DJ David Mueller, who was found by a jury to have groped the star before a concert, the singer said: “Coming forward is an agonising thing to go through. I know because my sexual assault trial was a demoralising, awful experience.
“I believe victims because I know firsthand about the shame and stigma that comes with raising your hand and saying ‘This happened to me’.”
She also addressed politics, saying she is “finding my voice”.
Swift revealed she would be supporting the Democrats at the US midterms last year, breaking a long-standing refusal to discuss anything political.
“Only as someone approaching 30 did I feel informed enough to speak about it to my 114 million followers,” she said.
Skynews
