Taylor Swift's statement on Vienna terror plot sparks passionate fan response

New York, New York - After Taylor Swift broke her silence on the recent foiled terror plot that sparked several concert cancellations, fans have rallied around the singer in defense of her decision not to share an immediate statement.

After Taylor Swift broke her silence on the terror plot targeting her concert, fans have rallied around the singer to defend her decision not to speak out.
After Taylor Swift broke her silence on the terror plot targeting her concert, fans have rallied around the singer to defend her decision not to speak out.  © Collage: Alex HALADA & Michael TRAN / AFP

In an Instagram post shared late Wednesday, the 34-year-old pop star opened up about her decision not to speak on the cancellation of her three Vienna shows earlier this month.

"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," she wrote.

Perhaps most notably, Taylor also shared a direct response to criticisms of her silence on the matter, adding, "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."

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"In cases like this one, 'silence' is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to," she continued.

Taylor's initial silence was understood by most, but there was a significant crop of fans – especially those with tickets to the canceled shows – that felt as though her not speaking on it was evidence that she simply didn't care.

In the wake of her statement, Swifties have opened a new dialogue about the star's approach to speaking out on certain issues, arguing that she may deserve a bit more grace that she has been afforded.

Swifties defend Taylor Swift's decision to stay silent on Vienna plot

Taylor Swift said in her statement that she chose to stay silent on the foiled terror plot out of concern that speaking out would have put her fans at risk.
Taylor Swift said in her statement that she chose to stay silent on the foiled terror plot out of concern that speaking out would have put her fans at risk.  © HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP

"some people owe her the biggest apology because you were so quick to bash her when all she wanted was to keep everyone as safe as possible," one fan wrote on X.

"i feel like this should be enough now for people to understand why she doesn't talk about ANYTHING that could put fans at risk - i highly expect if she hadn't been on tour we would've heard her talking about so much more in the past year," another said.

Many Swifties have also taken the comment as another explanation for her silence on political issues, despite her name often being thrown into the ring anyway.

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"I know a lot of people (including myself) are expecting her to speak up about certain issues, including of course, Palestine, but I respect where she's coming from considering her fanbase is hugeee and whatever she says can be detrimental to other innocent lives," one wrote.

While Taylor did endorse the Biden-Harris ticket in 2020, she hasn't delivered any endorsement in this year's presidential election just yet, and with a return to touring in the US this October, she may very well opt not to make a public statement out of concern for potential threats from extremists.

After a two-month hiatus following the end of the European leg, The Eras Tour is set to pick up in Miami, Florida, on October 18.

Cover photo: Collage: Alex HALADA & Michael TRAN / AFP

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