Taylor Swift shares heartwarming moment with late fan Ana Benevides' family but trolls cry 'photo-op'
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL: Global pop sensation Taylor Swift extended a heartfelt invitation to the family of Ana Clara Benevides Machado, a 23-year-old fan who reportedly died after falling ill at her concert in Rio de Janeiro.
Machado reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest due to the extreme heatwave that hit the city, with temperatures soaring up to 59.3 Celsius (138.7 Fahrenheit).
In honor of Machado's memory, Swift postponed another show in Rio and made significant changes to future shows.
It has been reported that the singer has returned to Brazil to perform in Sao Paulo and invited the fan's loved ones to join her at the concert. The icon even took the time to take photos with them, paying tribute to the devoted fan, per Daily Mail.
Taylor Swift meets Ana Benevides' family
#TaylorSwift tonight with the family of Ana Benevides, the fan who died tragically at one of her shows in Brazil. #TStheErasTour pic.twitter.com/0JqQI3lsCT
— Perez Hilton (@PerezHilton) November 27, 2023
Swift had a meet-and-greet with the family of Ana Benevides before the commencement of Sunday's Eras Tour show, per ET. They posed for photos together, which were subsequently shared on social media.
In the group photo, family members flanked Swift on both sides, all of them smiling. Notably, they were wearing t-shirts that had Benevides' face printed on the front, a touching tribute to their lost loved one.
However, some eagle-eyed Internet users have expressed criticism toward the family of the late fan and Taylor Swift for appearing to be smiling in the photos.
"Why are they all smiling WTF," asked a user on X (formerly known as Twitter). A fan wrote, "Weird pic."
"Is it just me, I don't think I'd be smiling if one of my family member died. The t-shirts and a photo op," noted another.
One user claimed, "Sure Taylor paid that family alottt of money idk how they could be just smiling like that."
"Why do they look happy," another user noted.
Is it just me, I don't think I'd be smiling if one of my family member died. The t-shirts and a photo op.
— Joyce Harrell Reese (@ChaCha53) November 27, 2023
Sure Taylor paid that family alottt of money idk how they could be just smiling like that
— Aly Kavan (@AlysonKavan) November 27, 2023
Taylor Swift appeared to honor Benevides
📸| Taylor signed and wrote a message to Adriana Benevides, Ana Benevides' mother, on a photo.
— Taylor Swift Updates 🩵 (@swifferupdates) November 27, 2023
"Eu Te Amo Adriana.
Love, Taylor." pic.twitter.com/MvpCHkYAqQ
When Swift returned to the stage in Rio on Monday, November 20, she seemed to pay tribute to Benevides by performing an emotionally charged song about loss.
The 33-year-old singer chose 'Bigger Than the Whole Sky' as one of her surprise songs during a rain-soaked set at Estadio Olimpico Nilton Santos.
This song, a bonus track on her 'Midnights – 3am Edition', includes the poignant lyrics: "Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye / You were bigger than the whole sky / You were more than just a short time," per ET.
Swift appeared to be moved as she sang, although she did not provide any commentary about her song choice.
A social media user with the handle @swifferupdates shared a touching photo that shows Taylor Swift’s heartfelt message to Adriana Benevides, the mother of Ana Benevides.
Taylor wrote, "Eu Te Amo Adriana. Love, Taylor," expressing her love and support in this difficult time.
Others were moved by the heartwarming group photo of Ana's family with Swift. A fan tweeted, "What a bittersweet moment for all of them."
Another wrote, "She passed before getting the chance to see her and now her whole family is there to see Taylor for her."
"Oh my gosh! That’s so special!" mentioned another. "Awwwe Tied Together With A Smile," someone else said.
She passed before getting the chance to see her and now her whole family is there to see Taylor for her 🥹🙏💚💛💜❤️🩵🖤🩷🩶🤎💙
— Гарри Аболенціа Цотонер (@swifties_stuffs) November 27, 2023
The show in Sao Paulo on Sunday reportedly marked the end of her Eras Tour for the year. Swift is scheduled to take a two-month break over the holiday season before resuming her tour in Tokyo, Japan, on February 7.