Photographer accuses Taylor Swift’s dad of punching him at Sydney waterfront

A photographer has accused Taylor Swift’s dad of punching him on a waterfront in Sydney early Tuesday and has reported the alleged incident to the police.

Paparazzo Ben McDonald told The Associated Press that Scott Swift struck him after he had stepped off a yacht with his daughter. Swift was in the country as part of her latest world tour.

“It was just a punch in the chops. It’s a little tender, but I don’t have any bruising and it didn’t require medical assistance,” he told the AP, using Australian slang for jaw. 

He continued: “In 23 years, I haven’t been assaulted and punched in the chops, particularly by the talent’s dad.”

McDonald claimed he had not provoked the alleged violent response.

“We didn’t go rushing down the jetty. We didn’t go rushing to the back of the boat. We waited for her to come up. Kept it very civil,” he said.

Swift recently performed multiple shows at Sydney’s Accor Stadium and was in the area when two people approached her entourage early Tuesday, her team said in a statement.

“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,” Swift’s team said.

Police said on Monday they were investigating a report of an assault near Swift and her entourage, but declined to name anyone involved.

New South Wales Police Force said in a statement that it was investigating a report that “a 71-year-old man allegedly assaulted a 51-year-old man at Neutral Bay Wharf about 2:30 a.m. before leaving the location.” No injuries requiring treatment were reported, police said.

Australia’s Sky News and Reuters reported that Swift’s father, Scott, had been accused and that a photographer was involved.

Police said the younger of the two men in the confrontation reported it to police. Officers with the force’s North Shore Police Area Command were assigned to investigate, it said.

Swift is scheduled to perform multiple dates in Singapore beginning Saturday before she moves on to scheduled stops in Europe as part of her Eras Tour.

CORRECTION (Feb. 27, 2024, 11:07 a.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated the first name of Taylor Swift’s father. He is Scott Swift, not Ben.