Taylor Swift Meets Survivors of Southport Attack Backstage at Wembley
Aug. 19, 2024, 5:07 p.m.
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Taylor Swift has met with families of the London girls caught up in the Southport stabbing attack last month, welcoming them for backstage visits during her five-night stand at Wembley Stadium.
One mother, Sami Foster, shared a now-viral TikTok video featuring a collection of photos from a backstage visit with her daughters, Hope and Autumn. Swift's mother, Andrea Swift, is also pictured with Foster's family. In the images, one of the girls appears to have a bandage on her forearm, which features a lyric from the song “Cardigan”: “You drew stars around my scars.”
Foster quoted that lyric in her caption for the photo montage of Swift with the girls, using the song “Enchanted” as background music. She continued, “The biggest thank you to @Taylor Swift and her mum for making the most magical night possible for us all 🫶🏻 thankyou for bringing Hope & Autumn pure happiness last night & always 💗💗 #taylorswift #taylornation #erastour #swifties #andreaswift .”
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It is not publicly known how many families Swift has met with during her London performances, but Foster's family is not the only one to have been granted a backstage encounter. Swift has not publicly announced or acknowledged these meetings.
It was reported before the start of her run at Wembley that she had privately contacted the families of the three girls who were killed in the July 29 attack — Bebe King, 6, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7.
The horrific attack transpired at a dance class inspired by Swift’s music. Eight other children and two adults were also injured in the incident, with six listed in critical condition at the time. On Aug. 6, Merseyside police announced that the injured children had been released from the hospital.
An estimated 25 children were present in the classroom during the attack. A 17-year-old male was apprehended and charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a dangerous weapon.
Swift responded on her Instagram Stories on July 30, saying: “The horrific events of yesterday's attack in Southport continue to weigh heavily on me, and I am in a state of shock. … The loss of innocent lives and the unimaginable trauma inflicted on everyone involved, the families, the first responders. These were just young children at a dance class. I am truly heartbroken and cannot express my deepest condolences to these families.”
Swift's five-night residency at Wembley Stadium — following previous performances at the same venue earlier in the summer — has continued smoothly after the cancellation of three shows in Vienna due to security concerns.
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