Swifties on social media were enraged at parents who left their baby lying on the floor in the general admission section at one of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert shows in Paris.
The multi-Grammy-winning mega-pop star resumed the European leg of her historically successful tour on May 9 after a nearly three-month hiatus to release her chart-topping surprise double album The Tortured Poets Department.
The revamped show that debuted in Paris featured new costumes and a new segment featuring songs from her latest magnum opus, including the new hits "Fortnight," "Down Bad," and the latest crowd favorite "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart."
Her four sold-out performances at the Paris La Défense Arena in France generated substantial buzz, including news of her beau, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, flying out to catch the final show of her engagement at the City of Love.
But the buzzkill came when a photo of an infant lying on the crowded arena floor at one of the shows went viral, sparking warranted outrage over parental negligence.
A user on X (formerly Twitter) shared two photos of the baby and called out the parents with a caption that read:
"get ur baby off the floor and GO HOME."
You can see the photos, showing the baby with eyes closed lying on what appears to be a shaggy lavender jacket with ear muffs on, here.
@whatamind13/X
Here's another view of the baby, whose head is inches from a discarded M&M's wrapper and empty beverage cups and standing spectators prone to dancing on the main floor.
@whatamind13/X
The user provided context in a follow-up post, indicating the baby's location amid a sea of adoring fans, writing:
"Just to paint the full picture this is general admission at the Paris show tonight… and that baby is somewhere in the floor AT THIS SHOW!"
"Like WTF they have lost their minds! terrible parenting."
@whatamind13/X
The images sparked outrage.
A person claiming to be a family member attempted to alleviate the online furor and wrote:
“This is my cousin’s baby."
“Yes, he is fine. Yes, he had his own ticket. No, they aren’t usually this lacking in parenting judgment. Bad moment."
"Chill out, concerned Floor Baby fans.”
But the attempt to calm people down remained futile as people kept pointing to the inherent danger.
In response to the backlash, a spokesperson for La Défense Arena issued a statement obtained by Page Six that read in part:
"General terms and conditions of sale stipulate that all minors (without any age limit) holding a ticket for a concert at Paris La Défense arena must be accompanied by an adult."
"Under 18 children remain under their legal guardian responsibility, it’s venue policy."
"For spectators with a young child on the floor, an alternative seating arrangement has been proposed but refused by ticket holders.”
A section on the arena's website states that the venue “doesn’t recommend bringing children under the age of 4, even if accompanied, particularly due to the high volume.”
Each of Swift's Eras Tour shows lasts roughly three hours and features songs from her 11-album discography categorized by eras, including songs from the recently released surprise double album The Tortured Poets Department, which were incorporated into the tour starting with the Paris leg.
While three hours isn't long for dedicated Swifties to sing and dance along to many well-known hits like "Shake it Off" and "Look What You Made Me Do," it may be cumbersome for a parent to hold their infant the entire time.
It's something for parents to think about the next time they consider bringing their infant child to a major concert event is a good idea.
@LeeMerrittesq/X
@bob_moss/X
@jelanijones/Bluesky
@Aurkayne/X
@sadcommunistdog; @froglok/Bluesky