Security guard claims he was fired for taking picture with Taylor Swift

A security guard from Minneapolis, who gained popularity for his singing during a Taylor Swift concert, has asserted that he was terminated from his position for requesting fans to take pictures of him. Despite maintaining that he was "doing my job," Calvin Denker disclosed that he had been fired due to his actions.

The incident occurred in June when Denker was captured on video singing "Cruel Summer" during a Taylor Swift concert. A fan near the stage posted the clip on TikTok, to which Denker reacted. 

In his response, he admitted to passing notes to individuals in front of him, asking them to send him any photos they took of him. This revelation proved to be the decisive factor in his dismissal.

In an update, Denker clarified, "Long story short I was fired for it. My former security company said they had a rule against taking photos with any of the performers. The main issue that they had was with my follow-up video where I said that I handed out pieces of paper to ask to be sent any photos that I made my way in to."

In his initial TikTok video, Denker confessed that his aspiration was to see Taylor Swift perform for free when he secured his security job. He pursued this goal after interacting with security personnel during the artist's 2018 Reputation tour. 

He achieved this by working at the U.S. Bank Stadium on June 23 and 24. He elaborated, "After night one I was realizing how close Taylor was getting to me, so I really wanted to get a photo to document it. So, I handed out these little pieces of paper that said I wasn't allowed to have my phone out but if Taylor Swift comes right behind me, please take a photo of me and text it to my number."

A few front-row attendees complied with his request, though Denker clarified that the individual who shared the viral video of him singing was not among them. 

In a subsequent video posted on August 17, Denker emphasized that his foremost priority was ensuring Taylor Swift's safety and the fans' enjoyment. He maintained, "I was doing my job."

Nevertheless, Denker received a phone call from the human resources department a few days after he admitted to distributing his contact information along with the photo request. He recounted, "Beyond that the HR woman who called me wasn't able to articulate exactly what I did wrong."

Interestingly, Denker also mentioned that due to unclear communication regarding the termination of his tenure with BEST, he was assigned shifts and worked at Ed Sheeran's concert at the same venue on August 12. According to Denker, he was officially terminated after completing the seven-hour shift.