Taylor Swift 'reached out to families of Southport victims privately' ahead of her Wembley gig
15 August 2024, 23:13
Taylor Swift is said to have reached out to the Southport stabbing victims' families privately ahead of her Wembley gig.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The 34-year-old returned to London on Thursday evening to perform the first of five more shows at Wembley Stadium.
It was said to be 'the hardest concert of her career' following the death of three girls in Southport, who had been attending a Swift-themed dance class when the incident took place.
Bebe King, six, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were stabbed to death on July 29, with 10 others injured.
Despite not addressing the incident on stage, the victims are said to have been in Swift's thoughts during Thursday's concert.
Read more: Taylor Swift fans come together in Vienna to sing and dance in the streets after concerts cancelled
A source told The Sun: “Taylor may not have spoken about Elsie Dot, Alice and Bebe on stage but she has reached out to their families.
“It is something that has weighed heavily on her mind.”
At the time, Swift released a statement saying the victims were "just little kids at a dance class" and lamented "the loss of life and innocence".
"The horror of yesterday's attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I'm just completely in shock..." she said.
"The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families, and first responders.
"These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families."
The pop star was later forced to cancel three shows in Vienna over concerns for a planned terrorist attack.
But she finally made her return on Thursday, surprising fans with a guest appearance for Ed Sheeran.
Swift performed one verse of Everything Has Changed, which features Sheeran, before bringing out to cheers from the crowd.
They blended the song with End Game, which they also collaborated on, and 33-year-old Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud.
