Father of Taylor Swift Fan Who Died in Brazil Speaks Out on Tragedy

Weiny Machado recently spoke about the death of his daughter Ana Clara Benevides Machado—who fell ill at a Taylor Swift concert in Brazil, was rushed to the hospital and later died.

By Elyse Dupre Nov 21, 2023 2:12 PMTags
Watch: Father of Taylor Swift Fan Who Died in Brazil Speaks Out

Weiny Machado is mourning the death of his daughter Ana Clara Benevides Machado, a fan who died after falling ill at a Taylor Swift concert in Brazil.

"I lost my only daughter, a happy intelligent girl," Weiny told local outlet Folha de S.Paulo in a Nov. 18 interview translated from Portuguese to English. "She was about to graduate in psychology next April, saving money. I have no words to express my pain. She left home to fulfill a dream and came back dead."

The 23-year-old's father noted he's seeking further information about the incident. 

"I want it to be determined whether they were in fact prohibited from bringing water, whether there was negligence in providing assistance," he continued. "I know that the singer was handing out water to her fans, and that is absurd for an event of this size. Nothing will bring my daughter back, but I hope that, if negligence is confirmed, someone will be punished, so that this doesn't happen to anyone else."

photos
Musicians Performing Live on Stage

Ana Clara attended Taylor's Eras Tour concert at Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Nov. 17. In a statement translated from Portuguese to English, organizer T4F (Time for Fun) said Ana Clara hadn't been feeling well and was "promptly" attended to by first responders, with her "being taken to the medical center at the Nilton Saltos Stadium for first aid protocol."

"Given the situation," the statement continued, "the medical team chose to transfer her to Salgado Filho Hospital, where, after almost an hour of emergency care, she unfortunately died. To the family and friends of Ana Clara Benevides Machado, our sincere condolences."

According to local outlet G1, the Rio Municipal Health Department said Ana Clara suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest and that the Instituto Médico Legal (IML) will certify the cause of death, which has yet to be revealed.

Fernando Leon/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

After hearing the news of Ana Clara's passing, the "Delicate" singer expressed her grief. 

"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," Taylor wrote on Instagram Stories Nov. 17. "I can't even tell you how devastated I am by this. There's very little information I have 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 continued. "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."

In a video obtained by ABC News, Taylor could be seen directing from the stage crews to bring water to audience members.

"It's just very hot," she said at one point, "so if somebody says they need water when it's this hot, they really need it."

The 12-time Grammy winner also announced the postponement of her Nov. 18 show "due to the extreme temperatures in Rio," writing, "The safety and well being of my fans, fellow performers, and crew has to and always will come first."

E! News has reached out to Taylor's and T4F's teams for comment but has yet to hear back.

See photos from Taylor Swift's Eras Tour stop in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Brazil

Lover Era

Fearless Era

Evermore Era

Reputation Era

Speak Now Era

Red Era

Folklore Era

1989 Era

Acoustic Set

Midnights Era

Latest News