Taylor Swift once revealed her “biggest fear” was the possibility of a terrorist attack at her concert — five years before authorities arrested two suspects targeting her Eras Tour.
In 2019, the pop star admitted in a column for Elle that she was “terrified” of gathering thousands of fans in an arena after “the Manchester Arena bombing and the Vegas concert shooting.”
“I was completely terrified to go on tour this time because I didn’t know how we were going to keep 3 million fans safe over seven months,” Swift said ahead of “Lover Fest,” which was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“There was a tremendous amount of planning, expense, and effort put into keeping my fans safe,” she added.
Taylor Swift once said her “biggest fear” was a violent attack happening at one of her concerts.Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
The comment came five years before two people with ISIS connections targeted her Eras Tour concert in Vienna.AFP via Getty Images
In May 2017, a suicide bomber killed 22 people and injured hundreds at Ariana Grande’s concert in Manchester, England. Five months later, a lone gunman murdered 58 people at an outdoor country music festival in Las Vegas.
The 34-year-old said her “fear of violence” bled into her “personal life” and she began carrying “army grade bandage dressing” — specifcally “for gunshot or stab wounds” — after the horrifying events.
The “Fortnight” singer, who has dealt with a number of stalkers over the years, said her personal information being available online only heightened her anxiety.
“You get enough stalkers trying to break into your house and you kind of start prepping for bad things,” she candidly explained.
In 2019, Swift said she was “terrified” to tour after “the Manchester Arena bombing and the Vegas concert shooting.”Getty Images
In 2017, there was a terrorist bombing at Ariana Grande’s concert in Manchester.Dave Hogan for One Love Manchest
Despite her fear, Swift said she tries to remind herself “of the good in the world, the love [she has] witnessed and the faith [she has] in humanity.”
“We have to live bravely in order to truly feel alive, and that means not being ruled by our greatest fears,” she concluded.
Thankfully, authorities in Austria were able to stop the singer’s biggest fear from coming true on Wednesday after intercepting a terrorist attack.
Franz Ruf, the director-general for public safety in the Ministry of the Interior, revealed they arrested two people with ISIS connections who planned to target one of her three shows in Vienna.
Over 20 people died as a result of the attack.REUTERS
The singer said her “fear of violence” also had a drastic impact on her day-to-day life.REUTERS
One of the suspects was a 19-year-old Austrian citizen, whose home they raided, according to Austrian news outlet Kronen Zeitung.
Police reportedly discovred various chemicals and substances inside the teen’s property, where he lived with his parents.
The age and identity of the second suspect has not been revealed.
During a press conference, Ruf said the two radicalized themselves online and pledged allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State last month.
Swift canceled all three of her concerts in Vienna, Austria Wednesday after authorities unearthed a terrorist plot.Getty Images for for TAS Rights Management
Swift has yet to address the arrests.Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
However, authorities have not released any of the details about the foiled attack.
Meanwhile, all three of Swift’s concerts in Vienna, which were expected to draw over 65,000 concertgoers each night, were canceled.
The event organizer confirmed all tickets will be automatically refunded. However, it’s unclear if Swift plans to reschedule any of the dates.
The 14-time Grammy winner has yet to address the scary situation.