Billboard has issued an apology to Taylor Swift after a controversial video used in a tribute post referencing Kanye West’s 2016 “Famous” music video. The video, which was part of a social media post celebrating Swift’s place on the publication’s list of the greatest pop stars of the 21st century, included a clip of Swift’s naked wax figure from the infamous video. The inclusion of this imagery, which is closely associated with the public feud between Swift and West, led to backlash and prompted an official statement of regret from the music industry outlet.
In the apology posted on X (formerly Twitter), Billboard expressed their deep remorse, writing: “We are deeply sorry to Taylor Swift and all of our readers and viewers that in a video celebrating Swift’s achievements, we included a clip that falsely depicted her. We have removed the clip from our video and sincerely regret the harm we caused with this error.”
The “Famous” music video, which was released in 2016, became one of the key flashpoints in the ongoing feud between Swift and West. The video famously depicted a naked wax figure of Swift in bed with other celebrities, a scene that was both controversial and widely criticized. The conflict escalated when West released the song’s lyrics, which included the line, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have se.x. Why? I made that b**** famous.”
This led to a public dispute when Kim Kardashian, West’s wife at the time, released an edited phone call between West and Swift, making it appear as though Swift had approved the lyrics beforehand. Swift denied this, saying she was never informed about the derogatory line, and she later spoke out in interviews, including a 2023 Time Magazine feature, where she described the psychological toll the entire incident took on her. She explained, “Make no mistake, my career was taken away from me… it was a fully manufactured frame job.”
Swift continued, revealing the extent to which the incident affected her mental health: “I went down really, really hard… I moved to a foreign country, I didn’t leave a rental house for a year. I was afraid to get on phone calls. I pushed away most people in my life because I didn’t trust anyone anymore.”
Billboard’s mistake was widely criticized by fans and observers alike, as the video resurfaced painful memories of the highly publicized feud. Many saw the use of the “Famous” clip as insensitive, given the significant emotional and professional toll it had on Swift over the years.
Billboard has since removed the offending clip and extended their apology to Swift, but it remains unclear whether Swift’s representatives, or the artist herself, will publicly respond to the apology. E! News has reached out to both Billboard and Swift’s team for comment but has not yet received a response.
Swift’s ongoing influence on the music industry, along with her resilience in the face of public scrutiny, continues to make headlines. However, this latest incident serves as a reminder of the complexities of celebrity culture, particularly when it comes to the lasting impact of public disputes.
