Taylor Swift's relationship with her fans is unparalleled. The relationship between Swifties and the object of their affection has long been documented, and the fervor around The Eras Tour was evidence of that. So when Ana Clara Benevides Machado, a 23-year-old student, died just before a Swift concert on November 17, Swift penned a heartfelt letter addressing what happened.
It has now been revealed, according to CNN by way of CNN Brasil, that Machado's death was due to heat exhaustion. The news will likely come as no surprise to anyone who was following the concerts as they made their way to the country, which was suffering through a record-breaking heat wave at the time of Taylor's shows.
According to details released by CNN, "the forensics report details that Machado was exposed to extreme ambient heat that caused diffuse heat exposure, a process that can take from eight to 18 hours." It was because of this exposure that she ultimately died from cardiorespiratory arrest.
CNN added that "according to the report, Machado had not consumed any alcohol or drugs, and had no preexisting conditions."
At the time of the event, Swift shared a handwritten note to her Instagram Story:
"I can't believe I'm writing these words," Swift wrote, "but it's with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show. I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this. There's very little information I have other than the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young."
She went on to add: "I'm not going to be able to speak about this from the stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it. I want to say now I feel this loss deeply and my heart goes out to her family and friends. This is the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil."
Machado's family and friends are in our thoughts—and we're sure Taylor's, too.
