Taylor Swift has finally addressed the thwarted terror plot that forced her to cancel her three scheduled Eras Tour concerts in Vienna, Austria, earlier this month.
Now that she's finished her five-night run at London's Wembley Stadium and successfully wrapped up the European and UK leg of the tour, the pop star took to Instagram to commemorate the experience.
"Walking onstage in London was a rollercoaster of emotions," Swift wrote. "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."
"I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together," she continued. "I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London. My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us. 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."
The artist added, "In cases like this one, 'silence' is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it's right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that."
She went on to say that her London shows felt "like a beautiful dream sequence," thanking her crew and fellow performers — as well as surprise guests Florence Welch, Ed Sheeran and Jack Antonoff — and, of course, the fans: "We'll see you all again when we resume the Eras Tour in October, but for now we get to take a much needed rest."
Read Swift's full statement below.
Yesterday (August 21), it was reported that the pop star will further address the Vienna terror threat and the Southport, England, stabbings at a Swift-themed dance and yoga class — resulting in the murder of three young girls — that took place a mere nine days earlier in a tell-all Eras Tour documentary.