Published: 6:53 PM PST, December 27, 2023
Ana Clara Benevides Machado’s cause of death has been revealed. According to The Associated Press, who obtained Rio’s Forensic Medical Institute’s forensics report this week, the Brazilian Taylor Swift fan died of heat exhaustion ahead of the singer’s November Eras Tour stop in Rio de Janeiro, when the heat index soared to 140 degrees and fans were allegedly prohibited from bringing in water.
Per the outlet, heat exposure led to cardiorespiratory arrest and “sudden death.” Ana did not have preexisting conditions or substance abuse that could have contributed to her death, the outlet reports. She was 23.
Back in November, one of the event’s organizers, Time for Fun, wrote on its verified X account that, prior to the concert, Ana felt unwell and was promptly tended to by paramedics before being taken to the stadium’s medical center. She was then transported to a nearby hospital where she died.
After Ana’s death, Taylor reacted to the tragedy, writing on her Instagram Story, “I can’t believe I’m writing these words but it is 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,” Swift wrote. “I’m not going to be able to speak about this from 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 broken 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.”
Though Taylor did not address Ana’s death on stage, she did appear to perform a tribute to the late fan when she sang the devastating track, “Bigger Than the Whole Sky,” as one of her surprise songs.
Ana’s father, Weiny Machado, previously reacted to her death, telling Folha de São Paulo, “I lost my only daughter, a happy and intelligent girl. She was about to graduate in Psychology next April, saving money. I have no words to express my pain. She left home to fulfill a dream and came back dead… Nothing will bring my daughter back, but I hope that, if negligence is confirmed, someone will be punished, so that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
Shortly thereafter, Taylor hosted Ana’s family at her São Paulo concert, where she met with them before taking the stage.
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