Taylor Swift Concert Tragedy: Father of Fan Who Died at Brazil Venue Breaks Silence
After losing his daughter as she was enjoying the Brazil leg of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. Weiny Machado, 53, finally spoke out.
Machado, who lost his 23-year-old daughter as the heat-addled concert was going on, spoke with the local Brazilian newspaper, Folha de Sao Paulo. He says that he wants clarification on whether fans were prohibited from bringing water during the first concert that happened last Friday.
"I want to know if it's true that they are prohibited from bringing water and neglected to provide assistance," he stated in the interview. "I lost my only daughter, a happy and intelligent girl."
"She was about to graduate in psychology next April, saving money," he added. "I have no words to express my pain. She left home to fulfill a dream and came back dead."
Rio de Janeiro was under a massive heatwave when Taylor Swift arrived for her Eras Tour. However, despite the stifling heat, fans have complained that the organizers, Time for Fun, prohibited fans from bringing any water at all. While no cause of death has been released for Ana Clara Benevides Machado, it is widely theorized that the heat had something to do with her death.
According to PEOPLE Magazine, Benevides Machado said that she was unwell and was treated by first responders at the venue. She was later transferred to the Salgado Filho Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, where she later died. An autopsy has been ordered with a criminal investigation into her death being launched as the incident shocked many in Brazil and the Taylor Swift fandom around the world.
Taylor Swift Devastated by Fan's Death During Her Eras Tour Concert in Brazil
In a handwritten letter she posted on Instagram, Taylor Swift stated that Ana Clara Benevides Machado's death during her concert "shattered" her heart, writing, "I can't believe I'm writing these words, but it's with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show."
READ MORE: Taylor Swift Eras Tour Postponed in Brazil After Fan Dies in Rio de Janeiro Show
"I can't even tell you how devastated I am by this," she added, noting that "There's very little information I have other than the fact she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young."
"I'm not going to be able to speak about this from the stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it," Swift continued. "I want to say now I feel this loss deeply and my heart goes out to her family and friends."
As for Benevides, her friend, Thiago Fernandes, has told a local newspaper that he wants Swift to at least pay tribute to her in some way, saying, "I want Ana to appear on the screens at Taylor's show."
Taylor Swift To Resume Brazil Concert After Postponement
After her fan's death, the organizers were forced to postpone her next performance in Brazil for Saturday. It has now been rescheduled for Monday, with fans for the Saturday concert still being able to use their tickets for the Monday show. The performance will still happen at the Estadio Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Temperatures on Friday reached 102 degrees F with 70% humidity, which made things feel hotter inside the stadium, according to PBS. However, temperatures finally cooled down last Sunday after a few days topping 100 degrees.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Taylor Swift Speaks Out After Fan Dies Moments Before Eras Tour Show in Brazil - Entertainment Tonight