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She’s undoubtedly one of the most successful singer-songwriters of her generation, and will probably end her career as one of the greatest of all time. Still, Taylor Swift has also made several enemies along the way. She’s been accused of media manipulation, lyrical digs, and the insertion of her foot into her red-lipsticked mouth.
In August 2017, Swift debuted “Look What You Made Me Do,” a track from her Reputation album that seems so vindictive that it begs for a closer look at her long list of famous foes. Because, though she’s got an army of Swifties worldwide and a seemingly impenetrable girl squad, T Swift has racked up quite a few enemies in her lengthy career.
While she may have some serious “bad blood,” she always tries to “shake it off.” And if not, she might drop a chart-topping song in the form of revenge. Here’s a look at all the celebrities who can’t stand Taylor Swift.
Kanye West and the infamous MTV Video Music Awards speech
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Once upon a time, at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, an allegedly inebriated Kanye West interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech for Best Female Video to announce that Beyoncé should have won, saying she had “one of the best videos of all time.” After the incident, he apologized several times, but Swift insisted on dragging it out. She gave seemingly endless interviews about the feud, eventually telling MTV News that she had accepted West’s “very sincere” apology. However, Vanity Fair reported in 2013 that Swift had a framed photo of the iconic 2009 VMA moment in her house. (Kinda weird, right?) Anyway, in 2015, Swift and West hugged it out at the Grammys and embraced again at that year’s VMAs, where she presented him with a Video Vanguard Award. Did they bury the hatchet?
Nope. In February 2016, West dropped his track, “Famous,” in which he raps, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b***h famous.” West swore Swift approved the lyrics, but her publicist sang a different tune. Days later, while accepting the Grammy for Album of the Year, Swift seemed to dig at West: “There will be people along the way that will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame,” she said.
This tit-for-tat is ongoing, with Swift doing what she does best — stirring up drama with song lyrics – and West and his wifey, Kim Kardashian, using their publicity to do the same. Nobody is shaking it off. Kanye and Taylor’s feud is one for the books.
Amber Rose was team Kanye West
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Amber Rose is no fan of her ex-boyfriend, Kanye West, who frequently disparages her in the press. Still, even she came to his defense against Taylor Swift and those “Famous” lyrics. “So, I’m not the biggest fan of Kanye,” Rose said on her VH1 talk show (via People). ” … but I was next to him at the VMAs that year [2009]. I remember the repercussions after that. I remember Taylor’s mother and father coming up to us and saying, ‘One day Kanye, you’ll have a daughter and somebody is going to do that to you.’ He was so remorseful.”
“And he really went through a lot of bulls**t,” Rose added, “and I know that Kanye would never ever go through that again by not calling Taylor and say, ‘Heads up, I’m about to go write this verse real quick. Just wanted to make sure you’re cool with it.’ I know that about Kanye.”
Despite her previous comments, Rose grew to admire Swift after her son, Sebastian, became a fan of the singer. On an episode of “Make Speidi Famous Again” (per Nylon), the model admitted that she saw a lot of herself in the “Red” singer, with both of them beefing with West and being sexualized in the media. “I’ve been slut-shamed all over the place. Everyone’s like, ‘You can’t keep a man. You’re this and that,'” Rose said, saying she thinks of Swift as a “twin.” The two put beefing rumors to bed in 2018 when they snapped a selfie together ahead of Swift’s concert in Pasadena.
Diplo body-shamed Swift
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Diplo caused an Internet stir in 2014 when he publicly body-shamed Taylor Swift on X, formerly known as Twitter. The artist tweeted at the time, “Someone should make a Kickstarter to get Taylor Swift a booty,” leading to backlash from fans and fellow artists. The DJ even added a link to a Fundly fundraiser to drive the point home. Lorde defended Swift over the tweet and responded to Diplo’s tweet, writing, “Should we do something about your tiny penis while we’re at it hm.”
In a 2015 interview with GQ, he reflected on the controversy, admitting, “So many tabloids used it to make it story, when it was not. Literally, it was such a tongue-in-cheek joke on both sides. I think Taylor Swift is such an impactful character, that it was because she was involved that it became really big.” He also told British GQ Style that he vowed never to get into a fight with Swift again, saying he never expected such outcry from her fans. “She has like fifty million people that will die for her. It’s like an army that’s worse than North Korea,” he said.
As for Swift, she never publicly commented on Diplo’s misogynistic comments, instead deciding to “shake it off,” perhaps. The music producer regrets his social media behavior. Looking back, he told Input, “When I first started using social media, it was a big joke for me. On Twitter, I was an unabashedly crazy person … I would make fun of other artists, and that really came back to hurt me in the end.”
Hailey Bieber gagged at the mention of Swift’s name
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Hailey Bieber made headlines when she made her distaste for T Swift evident while hosting “Drop the Mic” in 2017. In a resurfaced video posted to TikTok, Bieber was seen co-hosting alongside Method Man when he said, “[Celebrities will perform] a one-on-one rap battle full of the meanest lyrics about a celebrity since Taylor Swift’s last album.” At the mention of Swift, Bieber made a gagging motion, sticking her finger in her mouth and shrugging her shoulders. The move didn’t go unnoticed by an army of Swifties, including Selena Gomez, who immediately jumped to her bestie’s defense. She publicly commented upon seeing the video, saying, “So sorry, my best friend is and continues to be one of the best in the game.”
While it appears that Bieber filmed the episode of “Drop the Mic” when she wasn’t married to Justin Bieber (who isn’t Swift’s biggest fan), she may have had her own reasons for not liking the “Our Song” singer. In an interview with Yahoo’s Be in 2016 (via Teen Vogue), she told the site that she didn’t “understand the Taylor Swift squad at all.” She added, “I don’t know what having a squad means. I just have my friends and that’s it … I don’t think that you need to create a public squad. I don’t know what that proves.”
Damon Albarn threw shade at her songwriting skills
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English rockstar Damon Albarn is definitely not a Swiftie. The frontman for the band Blur spoke to The Los Angeles Times in 2022, explicitly calling out Taylor Swift for her songwriting — or lack thereof.
In the interview, when the topic of Swift’s songwriting came up, Albarn quipped, “She doesn’t write her own songs.” When the interviewer refuted that claim and added that she writes several songs and co-writes others, Albarn replied, “That doesn’t count. I know what co-writing is. Co-writing is very different to writing. I’m not hating on anybody, I’m just saying there’s a big difference between a songwriter and a songwriter who co-writes.” He also took a jab at the “Red” singer’s musical style, comparing her to younger songwriters making waves in the industry. “A really interesting songwriter is Billie Eilish and her brother,” Albarn said. “I’m more attracted to that than to Taylor Swift. It’s just darker — less endlessly upbeat.”
Swift clapped back on X, tagging Albarn and writing, “I was such a big fan of yours until I saw this. I write ALL of my own songs. Your hot take is completely false and SO damaging. You don’t have to like my songs but it’s really f**ked up to try and discredit my writing. WOW.” Albarn quickly apologized for his comments, claiming that the interviewer took his statements out of context and that they were “reduced to clickbait.”
Grizzly Bear’s Ed Droste says Taylor Swift ‘frightens him
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Grizzly Bear frontman Ed Droste, who’s close with Taylor Swift’s pals from the band Haim, initially expressed some apathy toward Swift in 2012 when he tweeted (via Buzzfeed): “Super relieved Taylor Swift is up for another award. Was worried she didn’t have enough! #phew.”
In July 2015, he reportedly went on a social media rant about Tay, writing, “I finally feel comfortable expressing my distaste for the rudest, fakest person I’ve ever met! #liberating … I’m done dragging, but I’m glad people recognize the skunk finally #trust.” Alongside a photo of an article describing Swift’s alleged hyper-control of her squad, Droste said, “Obsessed that people are catching on … I think this article sums up how people who are ‘taken’ really feel … she’s been given a free pass for too long. Plus, first-hand experience … I have a whole other story to tell, still feels unsafe tho. She frightens me genuinely.”
Swift’s Squad members quickly defended the singer following Droste’s comments. Gigi Hadid and Martha Hunt went on the attack against Droste, who later deleted his Twitter account amid the barrage of backlash.
Diane Warren felt left out
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Diane Warren was nonplussed when TMZ cameras asked the songwriting legend what she thought of Taylor Swift’s hidden messages in her songs and images in 2017. “Oh my God, who has time for this s**t?” she asked. “Really? Look what’s going on … I’m not going to take the time to look at hidden messages and that s**t … ”
Warren and Swift previously wrote the track “Say Don’t Go,” intended for the singer’s “1989” album, released in 2014. However, it was not included on the official tracklist. The “Fearless” singer decided to release the forgotten track for the re-release of her album “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” surprising Warren in a sweet, full-circle way. Whatever feud they may have had ended when Swift sent the famous songwriter flowers ahead of the album’s release.
“Look, it was great that the song came out and everybody loves that song, everybody. It’s like her fan’s favorite song,” Warren told People. “And the fact that she used it now when she’s bigger than anybody on the planet, it’s like, thanks for taking me along for the ride, Taylor. It’s awesome.”
Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift had some beef
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Demi Lovato has had a frenemy relationship with Swift since their teen days: Exhibit A is the infamous 2010 video of her quipping “Ask Taylor” when asked about their mutual BFF, Selena Gomez. Lovato’s distaste for Swift intensified during Swift’s 1989 era when Swift began preaching about feminism and squad goals. “I think in certain situations, certain people could be doing more if they’re going to claim [feminism] as part of their brand,” Lovato told Glamour in November 2016. “To be honest, and this is probably going to get me in trouble, I don’t see anybody in any sort of squad that has a normal body … I think that having a song and a video about tearing Katy Perry down, that’s not women’s empowerment.”
Lovato wasn’t impressed with Swift’s silence on the #freekesha campaign, a movement to support Kesha’s legal battle against producer Dr. Luke. In February 2016, Lovato tweeted, “I’m also ready for self-proclaimed feminists to start speaking out or taking action for women’s rights.” Swift’s publicist swiftly released a statement to Billboard, saying, “In a show of support, Taylor Swift has donated $250,000 to Kesha to help with any of her financial needs during this trying time.” Lovato tweeted, “Take something to Capitol Hill or actually speak out about something and then I’ll be impressed.” The two seem to have put their feud to rest, however. In 2019 Lovato posted a photo of Swift’s “Cruel Summer” track to her Instagram Story (via Teen Vogue), calling it “A jam.”
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler made jokes at Swift’s expense
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At the 2013 Golden Globes, hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler poked fun at Taylor Swift’s serial dater reputation, saying onstage that the singer should “stay away from Michael J. Fox’s son.”
After the show, Swift discussed the joke with Vanity Fair. “You know, Katie Couric is one of my favorite people because she said to me she had heard a quote that she loved that said, ‘There’s a special place in Hell for women who don’t help other women,'” she told the magazine. Fey told Entertainment Tonight (via The Hollywood Reporter), “I did not see that one coming. It was a joke, and it was a lighthearted joke. And it’s a shame that she didn’t take it in the crazy-aunt spirit in which it was intended.” Poehler told The Hollywood Reporter, “Aw, I feel bad if she was upset. I am a feminist, and she is a young and talented girl,” joking, “That being said, I do agree I am going to hell. But for other reasons. Mostly boring tax stuff.”
Swift’s sass led to more material from the ladies, notably at the 2014 Golden Globes, when Fey told Poehler that there’s a “special place in Hell” for her, as well as in an April 2016 bit in “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” In the latter, the character Titus Andromedon quips, “There’s a special place in Hell for women who don’t help other women.”
Joe Jonas broke up with Swift over the phone
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Taylor Swift had some harsh words for her former boyfriend, Joe Jonas. The pair started dating in July of 2008 and had a brief relationship before splitting three months later. The “Delicate” singer put the Jonas brother on blast during a sit-down on the “Ellen Degeneres Show” in 2012, admitting that her former beau ended things abruptly.
“You know what, it’s like, when I find that person that is right for me, he’ll be wonderful,” Swift told the talk show host. “When I look at that person, I’m not even going to remember the boy who broke up with me over the phone in 25 seconds when I was 18.” The singer admitted she was in disbelief over the break-up. She immediately checked her phone to see how long the conversation lasted. “I looked at the call long — it was like 27 seconds. That’s got to be a record.”
However, Swift had some regrets about airing out her and Jonas’s dirty laundry. Years later, she reappeared on the “Ellen Degeneres Show” and played a game with the host. When asked about “the most rebellious thing” she did as a teen, she answered, “Putting Joe Jonas on blast on your show…that was too much.” Joe has put the incident in the past, telling Entertainment Tonight that he received an apology from Swift. “It feels nice, and we’re all friends, it’s all good,” he admitted.
Camilla Belle was a lyrical target of Taylor Swift
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After Joe Jonas allegedly dumped Taylor Swift with an infamous phone call, he moved on with actor Camilla Belle. Swift — never quick to forget — seemingly shaded Belle in her 2010 song “Better Than Revenge” when she sang, “She’s an actress / She’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress.”
Belle wasn’t quick to forget either. In 2015, when Katy Perry tweeted about Swift capitalizing on pitting women against one another, Belle replied, “Couldn’t have said it better.” When Kardashian and West exposed Swift’s alleged double-talk in 2016, Belle posted a quote on Instagram (via the Daily Mail) that read: “No need for revenge. Just sit back & wait. Those who hurt you will eventually screw up themselves & if you’re lucky, God will let you watch.”
Swift has changed the controversial lyric that many took as a dig at Belle. In her 2023 version of “Better Than Revenge,” the line was replaced with “He was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches.”
Scooter Braun bought Swift’s work out from under her
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When it comes to revenge, there’s no one that Taylor Swift would rather seek vengeance on than Scooter Braun. Their nasty feud began in 2019 after Swift left her long-time record company, Big Machine Records, the year prior after producing her first six albums under the label. After she signed her deal with Universal Music Group, Scooter Braun’s company, Ithaca Holdings, acquired Big Machine Records and all the rights to Swift’s previous work.
The “Fearless” singer took to Tumblr at the time to express her shock. “For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work,” Swift explained. “Instead I was given an opportunity to sign back up to Big Machine Records and ‘earn’ one album back at a time, one for every new one I turned in.” The singer left the label because she predicted its former CEO, Scott Borchetta, would sell Big Machine Records once she signed the proposed contract. Swift predicted correctly; however, she wasn’t aware that Braun would be taking over. “All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I’ve received at his hands for years,” she added.
As for Braun, he was under Borchetta’s impression that Swift didn’t want in on a deal over her masters. “… I made the assumption that everyone, once the deal was done, was going to have a conversation with me, see my intent, see my character and say, great, let’s be in business together. And I made that assumption with people that I didn’t know,” he told NPR.
Miley Cyrus doesn’t have time for a ‘squad’
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In her Hannah Montana days, Miley Cyrus was friendly with Taylor Swift. The “Blank Space” singer even wrote Cryus’ song “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home” for “Hannah Montana: The Movie.” Nowadays, Cyrus is more vocal about her distaste for the “Love Story” singer. “I’m not trying to be in the squad,” Cyrus told The New York Times in August 2015, referencing Swift’s highly contested band of girlfriends. “None of my friends are famous and not because of any other reason than I just like real people who are living real lives, because I’m inspired by them.” Ouch.
The same month, Cyrus vented to Marie Claire about Swift’s “Bad Blood” video: “I don’t get the violence revenge thing. That’s supposed to be a good example? And I’m a bad role model because I’m running around with my t**ties out? I’m not sure how t**ties are worse than guns.”
Justin Bieber knows he’ll never be Taylor Swift’s friend
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Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift reportedly haven’t been pals since Bieber’s breakup with Swift’s best friend, Selena Gomez. After all, mess with anyone in the infamous girl gang, and Swift and the squad might shout you out in an upcoming music video. A source told Hollywood Life in 2016 (via International Business Times), “Justin knows Taylor doesn’t like him and never will and the feeling is mutual, but he is smart enough to know not to say anything in public or on social media because he knows all the scrutiny he’d endure …” The insider admitted that the Biebs has no expectation of being on Swift’s good side and even faults the singer for some of his past problems with the “Only Murders in the Building” actor.
The Biebs took his Swift stance even further when he waded into the murky waters of her feud with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. He once shaded Swift on Instagram, captioning a screenshot of himself FaceTiming with Kanye West: “Taylor Swift what up.” He has since apologized publicly.
Nicki Minaj and Swift had Twitter beef
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When the 2015 VMA nominations were announced, Nicki Minaj tweeted (via Billboard) that her “Anaconda” and “Feeling Myself” videos were snubbed in favor of a video that “celebrates women with very slim bodies.” Minaj never mentioned Swift by name, but considering Swift had been nominated for video of the year for “Bad Blood,” which starred a bevy of her model pals, the world assumed Minaj was taking a swipe at Tay.
Swift took it personally, tweeting at Minaj, “I’ve done nothing but love and support you. It’s unlike you to pit women against each other. Maybe one of the men took your slot.” Minaj responded, “Huh? U must not be reading my tweets. Didn’t say a word about u. I love u just as much. But u should speak on this …” Minaj added, “I’m still confused as to why u just tweeted me when I made it abundantly clear … ” The women shocked fans everywhere when they decided to put the past in the past and perform together at the 2015 VMAs. At the time, many thought the beef was over, but think again.
Immediately after Swift dropped “Look What You Made Me Do” in August 2017, Minaj tweeted, “N***a sit down. Be humble” — a post many speculated was directed at Swift. It’s also worth noting that Minaj provided a verse on Katy Perry’s “Swish Swish,” which is widely believed to be a diss track aimed at Swift.) Hmm …
Katy Perry’s bad blood with Swift
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In 2014, Swift complained to Rolling Stone about a nameless star (who ended up being Katy Perry). “For years, I was never sure if we were friends or not,” Swift said at the time. “She would come up to me at awards shows and say something and walk away, and I would think, ‘Are we friends, or did she just give me the harshest insult of my life?’ [Then] she did something so horrible. I was like, ‘Oh, we’re just straight-up enemies’ … She basically tried to sabotage an entire arena tour. She tried to hire a bunch of people out from under me.”
Perry told talk show host James Corden in May 2017 that the employees Swift was referring to were dancers with whom Perry was close. They supposedly had a stipulation in their contracts stating that they could leave Swift’s tour to tour with Perry when the time came. When the dancers approached Swift’s management, Perry said they were fired. She claimed Swift refused to discuss the matter with Perry and wrote “Bad Blood” instead.
The feud ended after Perry sent a literal olive branch to Swift ahead of her “Reputation” tour in 2018. The following year, the “Fireworks” singer posted an Instagram photo of a plate of cookies with “peace at last” written in frosting, tagging Swift in the picture and writing “feels good” in the caption. Perry was also featured in Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down” music video the following year, putting an on-screen end to their feud.
John Mayer was the subject of a Taylor Swift song
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Swift had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it relationship with John Mayer around 2009 and collaborated with him on his song “Half of My Heart.” Their love affair didn’t last long, though, and things got ugly later that year when Swift released “Dear John,” with lyrics like: “Dear John, I see it all, now it was wrong / Don’t you think 19 is too young to be played by your dark twisted games, when I loved you so?”
Mayer told Rolling Stone in 2012 that the song was incredibly embarrassing. “It made me feel terrible, because I didn’t deserve it. I’m pretty good at taking accountability now, and I never did anything to deserve that. It was a really lousy thing for her to do,” he said, adding he never got a heads-up about the song’s release. “I was really caught off-guard, and it really humiliated me at a time when I’d already been dressed down. I mean, how would you feel if, at the lowest you’ve ever been, someone kicked you even lower?” he asked. He likened the name-dropping to “cheap songwriting,” saying, “I know she’s the biggest thing in the world, and I’m not trying to sink anybody’s ship, but I think it’s abusing your talent to rub your hands together and go, ‘Wait till he gets a load of this!’ That’s bulls**t.”
But Swift had a terse reply for the heartbreaker. In a November 2012 interview with Glamour (via USA Today), Swift responded to Mayer’s reaction, saying: “How presumptuous! I never disclose who my songs are about.”
