Taylor Swift broke down in tears meeting some of the survivors of the 2024 Southport attack, according to footage in her new documentary series.
In July 2024, three young girls were killed and 10 people were injured during a tragic stabbing incident at a Swift-themed dance workshop in Southport, England.
The pop superstar responded by reaching out to survivors and the families of the victims to express her condolences and invite them to one of her London shows.
According to behind-the-scenes footage in The End of an Era series, Swift fought back her emotions while preparing to meet her guests backstage at Wembley Stadium and broke down in tears to her mother Andrea Swift afterwards.
“I know you helped them,” Andrea said as she passed her daughter a tissue, reports Mail Online. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I know you helped them.”
The star then had minutes to compose herself before taking to the stage.
That Wembley show held particular emotional significance for Swift because it marked her return to The Eras Tour after cancelling three concerts in Vienna, Austria, over a terrorist threat in August 2024.
The Blank Space hitmaker got emotional as she addressed the thwarted plot, saying, “We dodged a massacre situation.”
Swift also candidly admitted that she was riddled with anxiety about resuming the tour in London days later.
“I’m trying to calm down I’m having a very physical reaction to my nerves. My hands are shaking. It’s weird, I just have to get this first show over with,” she told her mum.
“I’ve been performing for 20 years. From a mental standpoint, being afraid that something is going to happen to your fans at any moment – this a new challenge.”
She likened herself to a “pilot flying a plane”, explaining that she needs to project a sense of calm confidence to make her fans feel safe and at ease.
The documentary also shows her relief after playing Wembley, with her telling fiancé Travis Kelce over the phone, “I was so happy – I thought I was going to forget how to play guitar and sing.”
The Eras Tour, which spanned almost two years, came to an end a year ago.
The first two episodes of The End of an Era are now streaming on Disney+, along with a concert film of the final show.
