Taylor Swift reveals how terrifying letters from a stalker drove her to carry battlefield bandages in her own home in Nashville

Fame often comes with admiration, awards, and applause—but for some stars, it also brings terrifying, unwanted attention.

That was tragically the case for Taylor Swift, who was the target of a deeply disturbing stalking campaign back in 2018.

Now, in a new episode of Hollywood Demons: Stalking the Stars, the story is being revisited with heart-wrenching detail.

The Letters That Started Out Strange—and Became Dangerous

It began with just one odd letter. Eric Swarbrick, who became obsessed with Swift, wrote her a series of over 40 messages, each one growing more threatening.

His brother, Matthew Swarbrick, opened up in the documentary, admitting how things spiraled.

“The first one wasn’t threatening—just weird,” Matthew recalled.

But it didn’t stay that way. One letter included the haunting line: “I have one goal in mind, to push Taylor to kill herself for knowingly abandoning me to my mother.”

Eric had convinced himself that Swift was his soulmate and began hand-delivering these messages directly to her record label, Big Machine Label Group, in Nashville.

A Disturbing Escalation and a Frightening Obsession

Eric didn’t just mail the letters—he drove to Nashville on three separate occasions to drop them off in person.

His behavior escalated into terrifying territory. One note read: “I’ll be the cultural sword that runs through her heart.”

Another: “Give her my letters or I’m gonna kill myself. And I’m also gonna kill her by the way.”

Matthew admitted he had no idea his brother had been taking things this far, saying Eric’s college years had left him isolated and mentally unraveling.

A Troubled Past and a Cry for Help That Never Came

Growing up, Eric was outgoing, well-liked, and even led worship at his church. But something shifted in college.

He became withdrawn, lonely, and eventually unstable.

Matthew recalled a series of bizarre tweets Eric had posted around graduation—cryptic messages about soulmates, prophecy, and even becoming the antichrist. “It was so far from normal,” Matthew said.

What made it worse? They knew he needed help, but had no idea where to turn.

“I remember wishing there was a hotline I could call,” Matthew admitted. “The helplessness was the hardest part.”

Legal Consequences and a Mental Health Wake-Up Call

Eventually, Eric was arrested in Nashville for trespassing at Big Machine’s office.

Even after being released, he kept sending violent messages, some threatening to rape and kill Swift, others promising to end his own life in front of record label staff. The court didn’t take it lightly.

Eric pled guilty to interstate stalking and threatening communications.

He was sentenced to 30 months in prison and placed under psychiatric care afterward.

A Family Torn Between Accountability and Compassion

For Matthew, it was a bittersweet outcome. “Some people need punishment, others need help.

I just wish he’d gotten that help earlier,” he said.

But there’s been some light at the end of the tunnel. Since serving time, Eric began seeing a psychiatrist and reportedly started to show signs of becoming his old self again.

Taylor Swift’s Candid Confession About Living in Fear

Swift herself opened up about the trauma in a 2019 essay for Elle, sharing just how deeply the experience affected her.

“My fear of violence has continued into my personal life,” she wrote.

She revealed that she now carries military-grade bandages for stab or gunshot wounds, explaining, “You get enough stalkers trying to break into your house and you kind of start prepping for bad things.”