Taylor Swift said the foiled terror attack that prompted the cancelation of three shows in Austria filled her with “a new sense of fear” and a “tremendous amount of guilt” that thousands of fans missed out on seeing her perform.
The 34-year-old singer-songwriter broke her silence about the incident in a post on Instagram, just days after finishing the European leg of her sold-out “Eras” tour in London on Tuesday.
“Walking onstage in London was a rollercoaster of emotions,” Swift said in the post. “Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating. The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”
“But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” she added.
Swift’s concerts in Vienna, scheduled for Aug. 8, 9 and 10, were canceled as a precaution after Austrian police arrested two teenagers — a third was later detained — accused of preparing to carry out a terror attack.
The Instagram post was the first Swift had shared since the incident. She said her silence was “actually showing restraint, waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to.”
“Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” Swift said.
Swift’s record-breaking tour will resume in the U.S. in October.