As the world’s biggest superstar, Taylor Swift can be forgiven for occasionally wanting to escape the attention of the legions of loyal fans desperate to catch a glimpse of her.
Now The Mail on Sunday can reveal how she escapes those prying eyes – she climbs into a massive packing case.
Whenever the Shake It Off singer wants to sneak into hotels or venues incognito, she does so hidden in one of the large black cases roadies usually use for transporting bulky audio equipment.
And it works: where she has been staying during the UK leg of her Eras tour has remained a mystery throughout, with only unsubstantiated rumours of her residences.
One tour insider said: ‘It is unheard of for a musician to hide where they are staying during such a high-profile tour.
‘But Taylor likes to keep her movements a secret and keep that part of her life away from the world.
‘And she has found the perfect way – she hides in a case. She is seen when she wants to be seen and that’s about it.’
Fans previously spotted her using a similar technique on tour in Texas, when she was wheeled into the arena and into the backstage area in an oversized cleaners’ cart.
Despite her secrecy, it can be revealed that Ms Swift has made three trips to the picturesque Cornish town of St Ives since 2022.
Although she used her private jet to get there, she managed to avoid detection every time.
She dons a variety of disguises including wigs, hats, large glasses and other unlikely clothes in an extraordinary – and successful –bid to evade attention.
One friend said: ‘Taylor has been to Cornwall a few times but has never been spotted there. It is probably the last place you’d expect to see her – perhaps that’s why she goes.
‘It’s absolutely amazing that she barely gets seen anywhere. She is very clever when it comes to going under the radar.’
While she flew to Cornwall on her £20 million Dassault Falcon 7X jet, she has opted for less conspicuous transport in London, driving an unremarkable old Nissan Qashqai.
She used the car while living in a £7 million mansion in Hampstead, North London, when dating British actor Joe Alwyn.
A source close to Ms Swift, now dating American footballer Travis Kelce, said: ‘She had this really ordinary car. While she could take a limousine everywhere, she knew that a little Nissan wouldn’t attract anyone’s attention.
‘It’s one of the reasons she was barely ever seen while she lived here.’
However there is one group of people Ms Swift is always keen to meet: music critics.
A source said: ‘She likes meeting the critics and writers who most commonly report on her career, and is always very well briefed about who they are, who they work for, what they’ve written about her – down to very specific details about their careers.’
She is assisted in this by her publicist Tree Paine, described by industry sources as ‘terrifying’ and ‘unwaveringly loyal’.
One profile said she was ‘an unassuming yet constant presence’ in the star’s life.
She previously worked for the likes of Snoop Dogg and Marilyn Manson before meeting Ms Swift, now her only client.
