A man who paid $4,000 for a guitar purportedly signed by Taylor Swift and then smashed it immediately after buying it, discovered the instrument wasn’t actually autographed by the singer.
The Ellis County Wild Game Dinner in Waxahachie, Texas, hosted a charity auction on September 28. The organisation, which supports agricultural and rural education for Ellis County youth, promoted the auction on Facebook, claiming they had a ‘guitar autographed by country music star Taylor Swift’.
After winning the guitar with a $4,000 bid, the man destroyed it with a hammer. This act was captured on video, which went viral on Twitter, amassing over 22 million views.
this ‘man’ spent 4000 dollars on a guitar autographed by Taylor Swift just to destroy it. if this isn’t the definition of a jobless man hating on a successful woman then i don’t know what is.
alexa, play “The Man”. pic.twitter.com/Up7Yq6lEa1— silvia🦊⸆⸉ fine line owner (@tbslsilvia) September 30, 2024
A source close to Swift’s merchandise company later revealed that the guitar wasn’t signed by Swift and lacked official certification. Authentic signed guitars from Swift come with a certificate of authenticity, which this guitar did not have. Reports also indicated that while a signed CD insert accompanied the guitar, the instrument itself was unsigned.
Social media reactions were mixed. Some speculated that the man’s actions were politically motivated due to Swift’s endorsement of Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris.
One Twitter user commented, “A grown man paying $4,000 to destroy a guitar to impress Trump is next level pathetic.”
Another user remarked, “It doesn’t affect Taylor Swift and he just lost $4,000.”
Others criticised the purchase given the urgent needs on the east coast due to Hurricane Helene. “Imagine spending $4k when there’s literally an emergency situation on the east coast,” one user tweeted. “That $4k could have [helped] a lot of other people instead of some collector.”
Some fans pointed out the guitar’s inauthenticity, noting discrepancies in the logo and font. “The funniest part is that this [is] definitely a fake signed like it has the wrong Era’s Tour logo and font I’m crying,” one fan tweeted.
Ellis County Wild Game Dinner has been approached for comment.
What Other Media Are Saying
- 92moose.fm reports a North Texas man bought an autographed Taylor Swift guitar for $4,000, then smashed it with a hammer, sparking controversy over political influence.(read more)
- Newsweek: A man bought a $4,000 Taylor Swift-signed guitar, only to destroy it, sparking outrage and confusion among fans, with some speculating a political statement against Swift’s endorsements.(read more)
- Variety reports a Texas man smashing a signed Taylor Swift guitar, bought for $4,000, allegedly in protest against Swift’s political endorsements, sparking widespread controversy.(read more)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
What happened to the guitar supposedly signed by Taylor Swift?
A man bought it for $4,000 at a charity auction and immediately smashed it.
Was the guitar actually signed by Taylor Swift?
No, a source confirmed it was not signed by Taylor Swift.
Did the guitar come with any proof of authenticity?
No, it did not have a certificate of authenticity.
Why did the man’s actions go viral?
Video footage of him smashing the guitar received over 22 million views online.
How did people react to the guitar smashing incident?
Reactions were divided, with some criticizing the act as wasteful and politically motivated.
