Disney+ has now released all episodes of Taylor Swift's docuseries, The End of an Era, offering fans a unique insight into some of the challenges the star encountered while touring.
The third episode of the series, Kismet, which premiered on Disney+ on December 19, follows the Cruel Summer singer as she embarks on the US leg of her tour. However, the journey takes a tragic turn for Taylor and her crew.
After praising her incredible team, whom she considers family, Taylor opens up about one of her back-up singers, Jeslyn Gorman. In a heartfelt confession, Taylor shares: "Jeslyn is one of the most talented, resilient, loving people I've ever been around. She was the newest addition to our back-up singers."
Jeslyn then recounts her experience, saying: "I started with her reputation. I had never done a stadium tour before, and so the first show was just like, whoa. This is a lot of people."
In a heartbreaking revelation, Jeslyn discloses that she was diagnosed with breast cancer amidst the chaos of the Eras Tour. "Obviously it was devastating," she confessed.
Taylor then reveals the emotional toll that Jeslyn's illness took on the tour family, admitting: "We've been singing together for a couple of years. And when Jeslyn got sick, it was the first blow that the tour family experienced emotionally. It was like completely unfathomable to us."
Nevertheless, Jeslyn remained resilient, revealing: "But every weekend, we had a show, so I still flew to the next city, did a show with everyone. And like in the middle of the week when we weren't doing shows, I would fly back to LA and just have biopsies and just poked and prodded to learn, really, what I had to do, treatment-wise, and then hopped back on stage and pretended like nothing was happening."
Taylor then revealed her recollection of the devastating moment she discovered the news. "I'll never forget what she told us, everyone was just in shambles, and it's the not knowing."
Jeslyn disclosed that when she broke the news Taylor "came storming in with hugs and crying and just saying, 'I'm so sorry.' And her mom said, 'you just take care of you and we'll be here when you're ready.'"
The backing vocalist's cancer battle continued for approximately six months, during which she endured chemotherapy and surgery as well as having to cope with skin problems, reports the Mirror US. She also revealed losing "about 75% of my hair," which left her feeling and appearing "completely different."
Taylor then told the cameras, "We just wanted her to know that no matter what, under any circumstances, if she wanted to come back, she could."
At the conclusion of her treatment, Jeslyn enquired with her doctor: "How quickly can I get back on tour after I'm done with radiation? My doctor said that night, but you have to get back into shape." Following the doctor's orders precisely, Jeslyn boarded a plane immediately after finishing radiation to return to her passion.
"Just coming back to this joy filled show, and these people just emphasized even more how much we're a family," she gushed to the camera as she recalled returning to the Eras Tour.
The segment wrapped up with Taylor confessing, "I cannot believe that she was back in a few months. The will to come back and do the hardest show ever. None of us could believe it. I still can't."
The initial two episodes, which were broadcast on December 12, gave fans an insider's glimpse into the legendary Eras Tour's backstage world. Yet the footage wasn't presented in chronological order, with cameras capturing performances at London's Wembley Stadium.
By this stage of the tour, Taylor, 36, had already faced security concerns following a terror threat that resulted in the cancellation of her Vienna concert.
The programme also documented events after she started her romance with Kansas City Chief tight end Travis Kelce, 36. Viewers caught a glimpse of their blossoming relationship, including moments where she was chatting enthusiastically with him over the phone.
Additionally, he praised the pop sensation, drawing parallels between her profession and the sporting world. Travis marvelled at her capacity to adapt her performance on the fly, particularly when she effortlessly welcomed Ed Sheeran onto the stage following just a quick backstage briefing.
All episodes of Taylor Swift: The End of an Era are now streaming on Disney+
