Being one of the most famous pop stars on the planet comes with unimaginable perks — but also terrifying dangers.
For Taylor Swift, the dark side of superstardom has often meant dealing with obsessed and dangerous stalkers.
Now, chilling new details have emerged about one of her most disturbing encounters yet.
‼️| For the first time since 2019, Taylor Swift has gone a FULL year without releasing a new album or re-recording. pic.twitter.com/zE2aMRCqlF
— Swift HQ (@SwiftUpdatesHQ) April 19, 2025
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The Chilling Death Threats Against Taylor Swift
In 2018, Taylor became the target of Eric Swarbrick, a man who believed she was his “soulmate.”
Over time, Eric sent Taylor forty letters, each one growing increasingly deranged.
His brother Matthew recently appeared on the Investigation Discovery series Hollywood Demons, revealing the terrifying progression of Eric’s behavior.
“The first one is not threatening, just strange,” Matthew recalled.
“But just a few months later, one of his letters references ‘I have one goal in mind, to push Taylor to kill herself for knowingly abandoning me to my mother.’”
Starting in January 2018, Eric escalated his efforts by hand-delivering letters directly to Big Machine Label Group, Taylor’s record label at the time. His messages became not only more aggressive but openly violent.
In one letter, Eric threatened, “‘ll be the cultural sword that runs through her heart.”
In another, he chillingly added, “Give her my letters or I’m gonna kill myself. And I’m also gonna kill her by the way.”
Eric Swarbrick, 26, in custody in Austin TX, named in a Nashville federal criminal complaint charging interstate stalking & sending interstate communications with intent to threaten involving Taylor Swift's record label. Investigation by FBI & MNPD Specialized Investigations Div pic.twitter.com/1HCRAQaWTS
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) September 20, 2018
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At one horrifying point, Eric threatened to commit suicide in front of Big Machine Label Group employees. The situation spiraled out of control, leaving Taylor living in constant fear.
“My fear of violence has continued into my personal life,” Taylor wrote candidly in a 2019 piece for Elle magazine.
“I carry QuikClot army grade bandage dressing, which is for gunshot or stab wounds. You get enough stalkers trying to break into your house and you kind of start prepping for bad things.”
Eric Swarbrick Arrested and Sentenced
Eventually, authorities arrested Eric, and he pleaded guilty to interstate stalking and sending interstate communications.
He served a 30-month prison sentence before being transferred to mandated psychiatric care. According to Matthew, his brother has made some positive changes since then.
“After prison, he was seeing a psychiatrist and slowly he was starting to become his old self in a lot of ways,” Matthew explained.
Reflecting on the painful ordeal, he added, “There are some people who need punishment and some people who need treatment, and I certainly wish he was taken to a mental health hospital earlier than they did.”
Though Eric’s story has reached a more hopeful chapter, the scars left on Taylor are undeniable.
Taylor Swift's alleged stalker accused of threatening Travis Kelce was arrested at her Eras Tour stop in Germany. pic.twitter.com/9Zd7dPISnS
— E! News (@enews) July 19, 2024
A Pattern of Danger
Sadly, Swarbrick is just one of many stalkers that Taylor Swift has had to contend with throughout her career.
In July 2024, police in Germany detained a 34-year-old man who had made threats against Taylor and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce.
Authorities intervened after the man attempted to attend one of Taylor’s concerts in Gelsenkirchen.
Just months earlier, in January 2024, another disturbing incident unfolded.
An unidentified man was arrested after he tried to break into Taylor’s New York City apartment.
NYPD officers were called after a “disorderly person” was seen attempting to open a door leading into Taylor’s building. Neighbors reported seeing the man lurking around the area repeatedly.
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Going back further, in June 2023, an Indiana man named Mitchell Taebel faced charges of stalking, invasion of privacy, intimidation, and harassment. Taebel allegedly made repeated efforts to contact Taylor, both on social media and in person at her Nashville residence.
He also reportedly sent threatening messages to Taylor, her father, and even her backup dancers. Although the charges against him were dismissed in December 2023, the psychological toll such incidents take cannot be overlooked.
Taylor Swift's stalker has been arrested for the third time in 5 days.
He went back to Taylor's block immediately after leaving court for his previous arrest. pic.twitter.com/gpng5vmUkj
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) January 24, 2024
Fame’s Unforgiving Price
The repeated threats against Taylor Swift serve as a stark reminder of the dark realities that can accompany global fame.
For every record-breaking concert tour and chart-topping album, there exists a hidden world of fear, caution, and constant vigilance.
While Taylor continues to inspire millions with her music and resilience, her experience is a chilling example of how fame can invite not only admiration but obsession and danger.
Sadly, it’s clear that for celebrities like Swift, the price of fame can sometimes be painfully steep — one that goes far beyond what the public ever sees.
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