Australian Police Close Assault Case Against Taylor Swift’s Dad

Scott Swift, father of pop superstar Taylor Swift, will avoid charges following an alleged altercation with an Australian photographer in February.

Australian police officially stated Tuesday (March 26) that “no further police action will be taken” against the 71-year-old Swift. They offered no further details.

Swifties React to Taylor Swift’s Dad Avoiding Charges

Naturally, many Swifties cheered the official exoneration of the “Anti-Hero” singer’s father. “We knew that already, but it’s nice to make it official,” one user wrote on X/Twitter.

We knew that already, but it’s nice to make it official. #ScottSwift#TaylorSwift #TravisKelce #Swifties#Australia #TheErasTour pic.twitter.com/0OQXjt4x7l

— Ann Hilton (@AnnHilton22) March 26, 2024

“Well duh,” another X/Twitter user wrote. “He didn’t do anything wrong to begin with. It was that paparazzi that was out of line.”

[RELATED: Taylor Swift Shares Heartfelt Family Connection to Singapore During Recent Performance]

So What Exactly Happened in Australia?

The incident at the source of the investigation happened Feb. 26 just hours after Taylor Swift wrapped up the Australian leg of her “Eras” tour. Australian photographer Ben McDonald, 51, accused Scott Swift of punching him in the face.

McDonald was snapping pictures of Swift and her entourage on a luxury superyacht along Sydney Harbor. The photographer claimed a security guard forced an umbrella into his face to obscure his shot of the “Karma” singer exiting the yacht.

Then, McDonald told police, Scott Swift “confronted him and “took it further.” “He punched me in the chops,”  McDonald told French media outlet Agency France-Presse. 

Team Swift Tells Different Story

A spokesperson for the 14-time GRAMMY winner said trouble began when two people  “were aggressively pushing their way towards Taylor” along the wharf.

Those two people were “grabbing at her security personnel and threatening to throw a female staff member into the water,” according to a statement from Swift’s team.

Taylor Swift’s Parents Are Never Far From Her Side

Swift famously has a close relationship with parents Scott and Andrea. The family left behind their Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania for the suburbs of Nashville when the then 14-year-old landed her first record deal with Sony. Since then — and before — Scott and Andrea have dedicated their lives to the Folklore singer’s career.

Mama and Papa Swift even joined their daughter in celebrating boyfriend Travis Kelce’s second straight Super Bowl victory. The 34-year-old shared a hilarious clip of her “accidental” clubbing night with her parents in Las Vegas.

Featured image by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for dcp