Australian police investigating Taylor Swift's dad for alleged assault

US singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP FILE PIX

SYDNEY – Australian police said they were investigating a 71-year-old man for the alleged assault of a photographer in Sydney in the early hours of Tuesday. The accuser identified the man as Taylor Swift’s father.

“Police have been told a 71-year-old man allegedly assaulted a 51-year-old man at Neutral Bay Wharf about 2:30 am (1530 GMT Monday), before leaving the location,” police spokeswoman Alicia McCumstie told AFP.

“The younger man reported the incident and inquiries are now under way by officers attached to North Shore Police Area Command.”

The alleged victim, Ben McDonald, told AFP the man was Swift’s dad, Scott Swift.

McDonald said he had been photographing the US pop icon on a “super yacht” in Sydney Harbour after the last of her four gigs in the city.

McDonald alleges Swift’s security put an umbrella in his face to prevent him from taking photographs of Taylor Swift, who was walking down the jetty to a waiting vehicle.

After Swift departed, McDonald claimed a man confronted him and “he punched me in the chops”.

“I didn’t know who he was, but I looked at photos and saw him holding hands with Taylor, and it was her dad.”

“It was a shock. That’s never happened to me in 26 years,” he said.

Australian police do not usually publicly identify people accused or alleging crimes.

Taylor Swift is currently in the midst of her worldwide blockbuster Eras Tour.

She heads to Singapore this week for the next leg of what is expected to be the highest-grossing musical tour of all time at over $1 billion, according to Pollstar. – AFP