A nine-year-old girl whose dream came true after meeting her idol, American pop superstar Taylor Swift, at a concert two months ago has died.
Scarlett Oliver, who was battling high-grade glioma – an aggressive type of brain cancer – captured hearts worldwide when she received the coveted “22 hat” and a hug from Swift at the Eras Tour concert in Sydney, Australia, in late February.
Since kicking off the tour in Glendale, the United States, in 2023, the 34-year-old singer has made a tradition of bestowing her black fedora – dubbed the “22 hat” – on stage to a lucky fan while performing the song 22.
Scarlett’s father Paul announced his daughter’s death online just days before her 10th birthday on May 7. Her condition had worsened over the past month.
Scarlett’s stepmother Natalie Oliver confirmed the news on social media on April 28, sharing a message from Paul.
“My Angel, so strong, so brave, so beautiful. Nothing will ever be the same again,” said the post. “Don’t forget me and please find a way to let me know you are okay. Goodnight baby, I love you – Dad. It’s just not fair.”
Scarlett’s special moment with Swift went viral on social media after the girl attended the singer’s opening Sydney concert held at Accor Stadium on Feb 23.
Natalie had previously posted a request on social media seeking to fulfil the wish of the young Swiftie, who was given a prognosis of 12 to 18 months from diagnosis.
“Scarlett was granted a ‘Wish’ from the Make-A-Wish Foundation and her wish was to meet Taylor Swift,” Natalie wrote then. “Unfortunately, they told us this wasn’t possible, so through the power of social media and some generous people... We made attending the concert happen and got tickets.”
She then shared a photo of Scarlett holding a poster with the words: “Taylor, can I have the 22 hat please?”
Swift, who held six shows at Singapore’s National Stadium between March 2 and 9, will resume her Eras Tour on May 9 in Paris, France.
In addition, her latest and 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD), has been setting new records across the world. It sold 2.61 million album and streaming units during its first week of release in the US, Billboard reported on April 28.
TTPD also scored the largest streaming week for an album and the largest sales week for an album on vinyl in the modern era, Billboard added. It is also the top-selling album so far in 2024 and was Swift’s 14th chart-topping album, tying with American rap star Jay-Z for the most No. 1s among soloists.
Swift also topped the British music charts on April 26, outselling the rest of the top 10 combined and beating English rock band The Beatles for the record of fastest artiste to rack up 12 British No. 1 albums.
