A man who paid $4,000 to buy a signed Taylor Swift guitar at auction – only to smash it up moments later – has given his side of the story.
As you might have seen, the guitar, featuring a large image of the 34-year-old pop star and other artwork, was sold for $4,000 at an auction event.
Sadly, it didn’t end up in that hands of a Swiftie who would cherish it forever – but in the hands of a man who wanted it wrecked, per the Independent.
The dramatic incident took place during the Ellis County Wild Game Dinner, a Texas charity event.
In a viral TikTok video, an older man is seen holding up the guitar and a hammer before the winning bidder takes over, repeatedly striking the instrument, eventually puncturing holes in it.
The event host briefly intervened, encouraging the man to take the guitar offstage before causing further damage.
However, the story doesn’t end there.
After raising $4,000 for the Texas non-profit, the buyer donated the damaged guitar back to the organization.
Now, the battered instrument, complete with several hammer-inflicted holes, is up for auction again – this time on eBay.
Now, the man behind the drama has now spoken out, defending his actions.
He told NBC News: “It was just a joke at an auction that we had to raise money for kids, right? And that’s all it was.”
“There was nothing mean about it, nothing bad about it. It was just a joke that they were making up on the stage, and we just followed through with a joke.”
Craig Meier, a spokesperson for the event, described the incident as “light-hearted”, even though it presumably left a few Swifties watching on in horror.
“It was a funny, light-hearted thing. I know maybe it seemed to be malicious, but everybody was laughing,” Meier said. “There were people there, at the time, who joked around that he’s mad because he doesn’t know how to play the guitar.”
The auctioneer claimed it was an obvious political statement.
He added: “Taylor Swift, it became a political thing, and that was kind of the gist of it, just a light-hearted bit of a dig at Taylor for coming out politically and entertainers using their influence to influence politics.”
For context, Swift, who recently endorsed Kamala Harris in the upcoming 2024 presidential election, has sparked controversy among conservative voters.
In a social media post, Swift wrote: “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”
The Ellis County Wild Game Dinner organizers clarified that the guitar was donated to the auction before Swift publicly endorsed Harris.
