Taylor Swift's father Scott has avoided charges after he allegedly assaulted a photographer in Australia last month.
The incident happened as the father and daughter were disembarking a yacht in Sydney during the early morning hours of Feb. 27. This came shortly after Taylor wrapped up the Australian leg of her Eras Tour.
Notorious paparazzo Ben McDonald claimed the scuffle began when Swift's team aggressively opened up umbrellas to block his cameras.
The incident happened as Scott and Taylor were exiting a yacht in Sydney in the early morning hours of Feb. 27.
"In 23 years, I haven't been assaulted and punched in the chops, particularly by the talent's dad," the photographer told the Associated Press.
"Someone else came running at me and punched me in the left side of my face. Initially, I thought it was an Australian security that was trying to be the hero of the moment in the front of the Americans, but as it turned out it was her father," he added. "We didn't go rushing down the jetty. We didn't go rushing to the back of the boat. We waited for her to come up. Kept it very civil."
A spokesperson for Taylor provided their own account of the incident to Business Insider.
"Two individuals were aggressively pushing their way towards Taylor, grabbing at her security personnel, and threatening to throw a female staff member into the water," they said.
The New South Wales Police Force has wrapped up their investigation and concluded that no charges will be filed against Scott, News.com.au reported.
This was not the first time McDonald ended up in hot water with a celebrity.
Actress Nicole Kidman managed to get a temporary restraining order against McDonald after a listening device was discovered outside her Sydney home in 2005.
"Nicole would like to make it clear that she acknowledges she is a public figure and that reporters and photographers have a job to do and she respects that," she said in a statement provided to The Telegraph at the time.
"However, these are specific actions against two individuals who, over a period of time, have caused her to feel threatened, intimidated and unable to leave her home without fearing for her safety."
At the time, a lawyer for McDonald claimed the allegations were false: "He denies emphatically he has anything to do with planting any listening device."
The New South Wales Police Force has wrapped up their investigation and confirmed that no charges will be filed.
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Taylor's upcoming album Tortured Poets Department is due out on April 19. She announced the record while accepting an award at the 2024 Grammys.
Like all of the pop star's albums since 2015's 1989, the new LP was produced by acclaimed engineer Jack Antonoff.
Check out the full tracklist for Tortured Poets Department below:
Side A
Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)
The Tortured Poets Department
My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
Down Bad
Side B
So Long, London
But Daddy I Love Him
Fresh Out the Slammer
Florida!!! (feat. Florence + the Machine)
Side C
Guilty as Sin?
Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
Loml
Side D
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
The Alchemy
Clara Bow
Bonus Track: The Manuscript
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