Taylor Swift has jetted out of Australia after her father Scott was accused of assaulting a local photographer on Tuesday morning.
The American singer’s private jet was seen leaving Sydney Airport just hours after the alleged incident.
The global megastar, 34, performed her final Eras Tour concert in the city on Monday night.
The Bombardier Global 6000, which both Taylor and her boyfriend Travis Kelce used to fly to Australia, was seen taxiing down the runway at around midday.
Taylor’s team and her father are all thought to be onboard.
Prior to The Assault Claim
Taylor travelled Down Under for seven sell-out concerts across Melbourne and Sydney, which came to an end on Monday night, and she has a few days off before she will return to the stage in Singapore on March 2.
Her departure comes just hours after her father Scott Swift, 71, was accused of striking Ben McDonald, 51, at a ferry wharf in the suburb of Neutral Bay at about 2.30am on Tuesday, after the Australian leg of her Eras tour wrapped up.
Taylor’s team have said that Scott allegedly punched an Australian photographer in the face following ‘threats to throw a female staff member into the water’.
Where Was Taylor?
Taylor and Scott had travelled from Homebush on a luxury superyacht called Quantum before the alleged assault.
Footage from the moments before the alleged altercation showed Scott walking up wharf while giving photographers the middle finger.
What The Two Parties Said
A spokeswoman for Taylor Swift said the photographers were being ‘aggressive’.
‘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,’ she said.
However, Mr McDonald – the chief executive of Matrix Media Group – slammed the statement as ‘utter rubbish’ and said the only female at the scene was Taylor.
‘This is the sort of bulls**t I might expect,’ he said. ‘Which female was that? The only one there was Taylor.’
Mr McDonald said the altercation was caught on camera and did not show the photographers acting aggressively.
An investigation into the alleged incident has been launched by the North Shore Police Command.
The photographer previously accused Scott of ‘charging’ at him once he was off the superyacht with Taylor.
He originally thought it was a security guard and was shocked when he realised the alleged attacker was the pop star’s dad.
Mr McDonald also said he didn’t know what triggered the alleged assault.
‘In 23 years of taking pictures, I have never seen anything like it,’ he said.
‘She got off the boat, she walked towards security guards who were shoving umbrellas in our faces.’
Footage of the alleged incident showed Taylor and her father walking up from the wharf with large umbrellas blocking the view.
Details of The Assault
Mr McDonald started shooting when a security guard could be heard telling him not to touch the umbrella.
The camera jolted and there was movement from behind the umbrella.
A security guard could be heard saying, ‘that wasn’t me, that wasn’t me’.
Mr McDonald asked: ‘Who was that?’
He then went to The Rocks police station and reported the alleged incident.
Mr McDonald did not require medical attention and does not believe he will have lasting injuries, but has ‘very sore chops’ on the left side of his face.
