CELEBRITY
In a deeply moving encounter, Taylor Swift met with the families of the girls caught in the harrowing Southport stabbing attack
Taylor Swift has met with families of the London girls caught up in the Southport stabbing attack last month, welcoming them for backstage visits during her five-night stand at Wembley Stadium
One mom, Sami Foster, posted a now-viral TikTok video with a carousel of photos from a backstage visit with her girls Hope and Autumn. Swift’s mother, Andrea Swift, is also seen posing in the gallery with Foster’s family. In the photos, one of the girls appears to have a bandage on her forearm, on which is written an appropriate lyric from the song “Cardigan”: “You drew stars around my scars.”
Foster quoted that lyric in her caption for the photo montage of Swift with the girls, using the song “Enchanted” as background music. She continued, “The biggest thank you to @Taylor Swift and her mum for making the most magical night possible for us all thankyou for bringing Hope & Autumn pure happiness last night & always
It’s not known how many families Swift has met with during her London run, although Foster’s family is known to not have been the only one to meet-and-greet the singer. Swift has not publicized or publicly acknowledged the meetings herself
It was reported prior to the start of her run at Wembley that she had privately reached out to the families of the three girls killed in the July 29 attack — Bebe King, 6, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7.
The brutal assault took place at a dance class themed to Swift’s music. Eight other children and two adults were also injured in the incident, with six listed in critical condition at the time. On Aug. 6, Merseyside police announced that the injured children had been released from the hospital
About 25 children were believed to be in the class at the time of the attack. A 17-year-old boy was arrested and charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article
Swift responded via her Instagram Stories on July 30, saying: “The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously and I’m just in complete shock… The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families, the first responders. These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.”