Taylor Swift is known for her high-energy concerts and the devoted fans who flock to see her perform. But during one show, one man got too close for comfort. He didn’t even have a ticket to the show, but he managed to slip in somehow. For a scary moment, he was onstage with Swift before the situation was under control. Years later, it became clear just how dangerous that situation could have been.
An unplanned concert appearance
On August 31, 2015, Swift performed at a sold-out Petco Park in San Diego. She was in the midst of her blockbuster 1989 World Tour. But although most of the tour had been a triumph, they ran into an unexpected situation that night.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that two-thirds of the way through the concert, security guards detected a problem. A man, who would later be identified as 26-year-old Christian Ewing, was on the field, approaching the stage. He wasn’t wearing a wristband that authorized him to be there, so they stopped him.
It turned out that he didn’t even have a ticket to the concert, and he certainly wasn’t supposed to be so close to the stage. Swift’s security guards handed him over to stadium security. The story might have ended there, but as they were escorting him away, the guard stumbled, losing his grip on Ewing, and he got away.
A scary moment onstage
As soon as Ewing got away from the stadium security guard, he rushed to the stage, and he was able to climb up while Swift was performing. Most people didn’t see him, because he was in a darkened area, near the bassist and drummer. Swift didn’t seem to notice the disruption at the time.
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Four security guards, however, did see what was happening, and they tackled him. One of the guards got a broken rib during the encounter.
This time, they kept a hold on Ewing. He was arrested and charged with a laundry list of crimes, including felony battery causing serious bodily injury, felony battery against a police officer, and much more. According to Billboard, he was screened by the San Diego Probation Department’s mentally ill offender unit. It was decided that he was not mentally competent to stand trial and was instead sent to a mental hospital.
His criminal record didn’t end there
Ewing eventually pleaded guilty to assault and was given credit for the three years he spent in custody. He was placed on probation. Unfortunately, he did not seem to receive the mental health care he needed to be ready to return to his life.
According to the Times of San Diego, Ewing was back in custody in 2018, when he was charged with murder in the beating death of 57-year-old Gregory Freeman. He was again determined to be mentally incompetent to stand trial, and he was transferred to a state hospital to undergo treatment. If he is able to recover enough to stand trial, he could potentially be sentenced to 27 years in prison.
The moments when Ewing was on stage with Swift were scary for everyone involved, even if she and her fans didn’t realize it at the time. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt that night, although one security guard suffered from a broken rib. As he demonstrated three years later, Ewing’s mental health problems were serious and needed serious attention. Sadly, no security guards were there the day Freeman needed protection.
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