US President Joe Biden, who turned 81 on Monday, mixed up global pop sensation Taylor Swift with Britney Spears while speaking at the annual turkey pardoning ceremony at the White House.
The ceremony, which fell on the president’s birthday, involved him pardoning two turkeys named Liberty and Bell. Biden compared the challenge of attending the event to securing tickets for a high-profile concert. But in an apparent reference to Swift’s current international tour, he mistakenly said Britney.
“This is harder than getting a ticket to the Renaissance Tour or,” Biden said before pausing for a moment and adding “Britney’s tour”. “She’s down in, it’s kind of warm in Brazil right now,” he added.
Joe Biden mistakes Taylor Swift for Britney Spears while pardoning turkeys.
— Pop Base (@PopBase) November 20, 2023
Swift has postponed her Brazil tour after a 23-year-old concertgoer reportedly died amid the extreme heat wave conditions in Rio de Janeiro, according to ABC News.
Concert organiser Time4Fun and Brazil’s Ministry of Culture said she became unwell and was taken by the medical team to a hospital, where she died from cardiac arrest.
Following the fan’s death, Swift released a statement on Instagram saying she was “shattered” and “devastated”. “I want to say now I feel this loss deeply and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends,” she said.
During her concert at a stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Swift took matters into her own hands and displayed concern for her fans’ well-being.
Faced with lack of water facilities for the enthusiastic crowd, Swift initiated a chant for “water”, prompting a wave of support from her devoted audience. It became evident that the stadium had not adequately prepared for the hydration needs of thousands of fans gathered there and, on top of that, had banned water bottles inside. Not one to overlook the safety and comfort of her supporters, the Grammy-winning artist paused the show and engaged the crowd in a collective call for water.