Dustin's duty: Fans dub Taylor Swift's security guard 'angel' for helping Rio crowd amid heatwave and water crisis in stadium
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL: Dustin Watts, one of Taylor Swift's security guards, became the star of the November 17 show of Eras Tour in Rio de Janeiro.
During the show, the pop star paused singing and asked crew members to distribute water to the crowd who were sitting in the sun for hours. Her security guards quickly started distributing several water cups to the crowd.
A Swiftie who attended the concert talked about Watts, who supplied water to her calling him an "angel."
According to a USA Today report, temperatures in Rio climbed to almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit on November 17.
Swift has been cautious about the health of her fans attending the Eras Tour concert after learning the devastating news of the death of a fan due to the heatwave right before the show.
Extreme heat also forced her to cancel the November 18 show, citing the safety and well-being of her fans.
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Who is Dustin Watts?
According to his LinkedIn profile, Watts started working for Swift on a contract basis for the Eras World Tour in August.
He began his career as a constable with the Special Tactics Group of New Zealand police and later moved to VIP close personal protection and security consultancy.
Watts has international experience through a variety of roles from Middle East conflict zones to safeguarding clients in Europe, Asia, South America, and Russia.
TikToker recalls Dustin Watts's kind gesture
An X fan account of Swift shared a TikTok video where she talked about her experience with Watts calling him an "angel of a man."
📹| A swiftie shared on tiktok her experience yesterday with a security guard named Dustin from Taylor's security helping her and the people around her by bringing hundreds of water cups for them. She called him an Angel!
— Taylor Swift Updates 🩵 (@swifferupdates) November 18, 2023
"He was from the team she brings (from US) for… pic.twitter.com/T5uuzEzkMn
She said, "He was from the team she brings (from US) for security...he started passing water to me and we just kept passing it back and I'm talking about hundreds and hundreds of cups."
The TikToker added that they passed boxes of water to the crowd, and "between each song, he would physically carry boxes of water and just pass them back."
Swifties praise Dustin Watts
Swifties have been showering praises on the security guard since the TikTok video went viral, with some asking Swift to give Watts a raise. He has become a hero among many other unnamed security personnel from Swift's team.
One user said, "Dustin from Taylor's Security team is a true hero! Handing out water to keep everyone refreshed and hydrated at the show in Rio de Janeiro. Such an amazing gesture!"
Dustin from Taylor's Security team is a true hero! 🙌💧 Handing out water to keep everyone refreshed and hydrated at the show in Rio de Janeiro. Such an amazing gesture! #RioTSTheErasTour #TaylorSwift
— •|ᴍᴀꜱʜᴀ|• (@MashaNoor0) November 18, 2023
Another user said, "Great to hear team Taylor Swift are very proactive taking care of the fans. He is an angel."
Great to hear team Taylor Swift are very proactive taking care of the fans. He is an angel
— Hanna777 (@Melati1800) November 18, 2023
One user stated, "Dustin quite literally saved lives."
"This is so incredible. I'm so happy he was there and able to help you guys. What an absolute angel. We need more people like this," said one user.
This is so incredible. I’m so happy he was there and able to help you guys. What an absolute angel. We need more people like this.🩵
— Rebecca Tranquellino (@rebeccatranq) November 18, 2023
A user noted, "Taylor and her team ARE amazing."
One fan requested, "True hero! Give this man a raise."
"Preserve him !!! He needs a raise," another user chimed in.
One fan stated, "Good people still exist."