An American man who threatened Taylor Swift on social media has been arrested before her first show in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
The suspected stalker, whose identity has not been released, was “taken into custody at the venue’s entrance checkpoint before the concert” on Wednesday, according to Today in the USafter ‘initial investigation could not rule out that he posed a threat.
Police said the man made threats against both Swift, 34, and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, who attended her first concert at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen.
That is why he will remain in custody until Saturday.
According to AP, the event’s organizers had alerted authorities to the alleged stalker’s online behavior.
An American man who threatened Taylor Swift on social media has been arrested before her first show in Gelsenkirchen, Germany
German law enforcement officials noted that Swift and the 60,000 people present at the venue were “at no time” in danger.
In addition to Wednesday’s show, Swift will also perform in Gelsenkirchen on July 18 and 19.
The pop star will remain in Germany until July 28 for two more shows in Hamburg and two more in Munich.
In August she will conclude the European leg of the Eras Tour with a five-day performance in London.
She is taking a month off before performing in Florida and Louisiana.
The 14-time Grammy winner will conclude her U.S. run in November 2024 with a three-night stint at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
On December 8, 2024, she will close the Eras Tour in Vancouver, Canada.
The suspected stalker, whose identity has not been released, was “taken into custody at the venue’s security checkpoint before the concert” on Wednesday, USA Today reported, after “initial investigations could not rule out that he posed a threat.”
According to police, the man made threats against both Swift, 34, and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, who attended her first concert at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen
Swift has had a number of dangerous run-ins with obsessive fans over the years and has been the victim of numerous stalking incidents.
In 2019, she revealed in an essay for her book how stalking and harassment affected her daily life and mental health. She.
“You get enough stalkers trying to break into your house and you start preparing yourself for bad things to happen,” she wrote. “Every day I try to remind myself of the good in the world, the love I’ve seen and the faith I have in humanity.”
She continued: “We have to live bravely to truly feel alive, and that means not being ruled by our deepest fears.”
For her own safety, the murderous Cardigan maker revealed that she carries QuikClot, a military-grade bandage, “intended for gunshot or stab wounds.”
AP reported that event organizers tipped off authorities about the alleged stalker’s online behavior (fans seen on July 17, 2024 in Gelsenkirchen)
German law enforcement officials noted that at “no point” were Swift or the venue’s 60,000 visitors in danger (Swifties were seen arriving at the Veltins Arena on Wednesday)
Ahead of her Reputation Stadium Tour, she admitted she was “terrified of going on tour” because she didn’t know how she would “keep 3 million fans safe for seven months” following the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing during an Ariana Grande concert.
“A lot of planning, money spent and effort went into the safety of my fans,” she explains.
Swift also said that she never says or posts anything from her current location because all of her “addresses are on the internet” and she has dealt with many men having “imaginary” and one-sided relationships with her.
“I’ve had a lot of stalkers come to our house armed. So we have to think about it that way,” she explained on CBS Sunday Morning in 2019.