Taylor Swift broke down in tears while discussing the devastating Southport attack in her newly released documentary series, End of an Era.
The opening episodes, which dropped on Disney Plus today, capture the 35-year-old pop star becoming visibly distressed as she reflects on the tragedy that claimed three young girls' lives last July.
During the emotional footage, Ms Swift struggles to continue speaking while addressing the knife attack at a dance workshop themed around her music.
"We've had a series of violent, scary things happen to the tour like we dodged a massacre situation," the singer told the camera.
Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven,Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine and Bebe King, six, were all killed in the attack
"There was this horrible attack at a Taylor Swift themed dance party and it was little kids," she said, before breaking down and whispering through tears: "I have a hard time explaining it."
The attack occurred on July 29, 2024 in Southport, Merseyside, when 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana launched a stabbing spree at the children's event.
Six-year-old Bebe King and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe were killed at the scene, while nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar succumbed to her injuries in hospital the following day.
Another 10 children sustained injuries during the assault.
Taylor Swift broke down in tears as she discussed the tragedy on her documentary
|DISNEY+
Rudakubana has since been handed a life sentence for the murders, with Mr Justice Goose describing the crime as "the most extreme, shocking and exceptionally serious".
The six-part documentary series offers viewers an intimate look behind the scenes of Swift's record-breaking world tour, which she spent years developing and choreographing.
However, the footage reveals traumatic events that neither the star nor her production team could have foreseen.
Ms Swift also references the foiled terror plot in Vienna, where three of her concerts scheduled for August 2024 were cancelled just 24 hours before the first show was due to begin.
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The attack took place last year
|GETTY
Authorities had detained suspects allegedly planning to target a public gathering in the Austrian capital, with investigators believing the singer's performances were the intended focus.
Speaking directly to camera in the documentary, Ms Swift acknowledged the unprecedented nature of these threats.
"I thought that this would be a tour I was very proud of. But this is more than a tour.
"It's a force to be reckoned with in global culture. So never in my life did I think we would have a terrorist plot," she stated.
The star became unable to continue at several points during the interview, dabbing at tears as she attempted to articulate her feelings.
The documentary reveals that Ms Swift met with the families of the Southport victims and survivors ahead of each of her five Wembley Stadium performances.
In the footage, she explained her determination to remain composed during these encounters.
"I'm gonna meet some of these families tonight and put on a pop concert, you know?
Taylor Swift became emotional as she talked about the tragedy
|DISNEY+
"I'm gonna be fine because when I meet them, I'm not gonna do this I swear to god. I'm gonna be smiling," she says.
Ms Swift compared her approach to that of an airline pilot maintaining calm during turbulence, explaining that performers must contain their emotions before taking the stage.
"Any of this gets out of the way, before you ever go on stage, you lock it off," she added.
While no footage of the family meetings appears in the documentary, cameras capture Ms Swift retreating to her dressing room afterwards, where she breaks down in tears with her mother by her side.