Taylor Swift fans expressed outrage over a Billboard post recapping the singer's achievements after she was named the second-greatest pop star of the 21st century.
The post featured a clip from Kanye West’s controversial “Famous” music video, which depicted a naked wax figure of Swift.
Fans called the clip “disgusting” and demanded an apology from Billboard, accusing the platform of disrespecting the singer in what was meant to be a celebratory tribute.
The ever-evolving tension between Swift and West, starting with West interrupting Swift’s winning moment at the 2009 MTV VMAs to singing “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. Why? I made that bitch famous” in his “Famous” song, continue to make headlines.
Fans flock to social media, calling Billboard’s actions “unacceptable” and “unprofessional.”
“Okay, Billboard‘s intention was to recap everything that happened in her entire career, i get that. But was it really necessary to include THAT scene? Just nasty, disrespectful and unprofessional,” commented one user on X.
In response, Billboard issued a public apology to Swift and her fans, admitting to their error.
“We are deeply sorry to Taylor Swift and all our readers and viewers. In a video celebrating Swift’s achievements, we included a clip that falsely depicted her. We have removed the clip and sincerely regret the harm caused by this error,” the statement read.
Although fans acknowledged the apology, they criticized Billboard for taking several hours to apologize. The video has since been taken down.