A 23-year-old psychology student named Ana Clara Benevides Machado sadly died from heat exhaustion at Taylor Swift’s concert in Rio de Janeiro in November.
A lab report that the Associated Press got says that the extreme heat stopped the heart and lungs from working. The report also said that Machado, who didn’t have any health problems or a history of drug abuse, died suddenly from serious lung damage caused by the extreme temperatures.
Swift wrote in a now-old Instagram story about how sad she was to lose a fan the night of the show. It broke her heart and sent her condolences to Machado’s family and friends, saying that this was the last thing she expected when she brought her show to Brazil.
The shows were held in Brazil during a heat wave that broke all records. At the Estádio Nilton Santos, the heat index hit an unbelievable 140 degrees, which caused about 1,000 fans to pass out, according to an unofficial count by firefighters. Videos from the event showed that Swift stopped performing twice to make sure that more water was given to the crowd. She even threw bottles to fans who were crying.
With more than 60,000 people attending, the place didn’t allow water bottles inside, which made things worse. Rio’s heat index hit an all-time high of 137 degrees that week because of the very hot weather. Because Machado died, Rio’s public prosecutor’s office has started a criminal investigation. Police have said that the people who planned the event will be called to speak.
Swift showed her love by meeting five of Machado’s family members at her show in São Paulo later in November. She paid for their tickets to the show, invited them, and gave money to the parents of one of her fans. The singer, who won a Grammy, showed her support during this hard time by taking pictures with the family while wearing shirts with Machado’s face on them.