According to Pitchfork, a 23-year-old psychology student by the name of Ana Clara Benevides lost her life while waiting to see Taylor Swift perform at a concert in Estado Nilton Santos on November 17 in Rio de Janeiro. As described by Benevides’s friend, Benevides fainted in the front row and was given CPR before being rushed to the hospital. When Benevides arrived at the hospital she suffered from a second cardiac arrest and passed away.
To many, this is extremely melancholy and overwhelmingly tragic, especially to Benevides’s family and friends. Swift herself is torn up from this incident and she took to social media to share her grief and condolences. Pitchfork includes Swift’s statement that emphasizes the pain she feels from her fan’s death, and how this was never something she saw coming. Furthermore, she goes on to disclose her pain by admitting it is not something that she has fully processed, and she cannot begin to fully explain or talk about the true effects this has had on her.
Due to Benevides’s loss, there have been rules implemented to ensure free water access in concerts with high heat waves, and also allowing people to bring their own water at concerts, which was not allowed previously. Moreover, Swift has postponed her concert of November 18 in Rio de Janeiro to the 20th. The decision was based on the extremely high temperatures in Rio that would put fans, Swift, the crew and anyone attending the concert at high risk. As stated by Swift, the priority of her concerts are the well-being of the people above entertainment. Although it is truly heart wrenching that a young fan lost her life, it has opened eyes to the necessity to look after each other and allow people the best possibility and opportunity to be safe and well.
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