Taylor Swift said she was “overwhelmed by grief” after a fan died shortly before her Brazil Eras Tour show kicked off amid sweltering temperatures.
“I can’t believe I’m writing these words but it is with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show,” she wrote in a letter shared on her Instagram Stories early Saturday morning.
“I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this.”
The “Bad Blood” singer, 33, said that she has “very little information” about the fan’s death “other than the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young.”
“I’m not going to be able to speak about this from stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it,” she added.
“I want to say now I feel this loss deeply and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends. This is the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil,” Swift concluded.
The fan — who has been identified as Ana Clara Benevides — detailed the moments leading up to her tragic death on social media Friday.
The concertgoer waited for hours to get into Estádio Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro as temperatures continued to rise.
In one video, Benevides, 23, showed that the temperature was 35° C, which is about 95° F, outside the stadium.
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According to the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, the young woman “fainted” while she was in the front row. She was “resuscitated at the stadium for about 40 minutes” and suffered a second cardiac arrest while on the way to the hospital.
Benevides reportedly died shortly after arriving at a local hospital.
The newspaper reported that the heat index at the venue “reached 60º C” or 140° F and firefighters reportedly “counted a thousand faintings during the event.”
Fans on social media complained about not being allowed to bring water bottles into the stadium.
In multiple videos shared on social media, Swift stopped her show several times to ask for water on behalf of her fans, who were chanting for water at one point.
The athletic department of the Federal University of Rondonópolis, where Benevides was studying psychology and served as a director, paid tribute to her online.
“Our sincere condolences to the family and friends in this difficult time. May they find comfort in the memories and love she left as a legacy,” the post read.
Swift has two more concerts at the Estádio Nilton Santos stadium on Saturday and Sunday.
Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes announced that extra staff members, additional ambulances and new water distribution points will be added to the next two shows.
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