Billboard Issues Apology to Taylor Swift Over ‘Harm’ Caused by Nude Wax Figure Video
Billboard has expressed regret after sharing an inappropriate video featuring pop sensation Taylor Swift.
This week, the music publication faced criticism for ranking Swift as the No. 2 greatest pop star of the 21st century. The situation escalated when they included clips highlighting her major career achievements, which mistakenly featured a segment from Kanye West’s “Famous” music video.
In this controversial clip, a nude wax figure of Swift is presented while West, previously known as Kanye West, makes suggestive comments about their complicated relationship. Billboard’s statement issued an apology, expressing that it is “deeply sorry” for the way it represented the “Fortnight” artist.
“We sincerely apologize to Taylor Swift and our readers and viewers for including a clip that misrepresented her in a video meant to honor her achievements. The clip has been removed, and we genuinely regret the harm this mistake caused,” Billboard stated on X.
Swift and West have a long-standing feud that originated during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards when West infamously interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech. She tried to mend their relationship in 2015 after his prior onstage disruption, but their attempted reconciliation fell apart when West referenced her with sexual language in his song, which led her to object to the track, suggesting it implied he was the reason for her fame.
Following Swift’s criticism of “Famous,” Kim Kardashian released an edited recording of a phone conversation between them that seemed to show Swift endorsing the controversial lyrics.
“I felt like we were reconnecting, which was a great feeling for me—because all I’ve ever wanted in my career since 2009 was for him to respect me,” Swift reflected on their relationship, noting that their shared meals felt like “healing some childhood wounds from when I was 19.”
In her feature as Time’s Person of the Year 2023, Swift discussed her career’s most challenging moments and how those experiences increased her appreciation of the positive times, including her conflicts with Kardashian and West.
“I realize that two significant catalysts for my growth were two terribly painful events,” Swift stated. “One was being nearly canceled, and the other was having someone I view as an adversary take my life’s work away from me,” speaking of Scooter Braun’s acquisition of her music rights.
She further remarked: “This was a completely constructed setup involving an illegally recorded phone call, which Kim Kardashian doctored and released to suggest I was dishonest.”
“That experience psychologically impacted me deeply, leading me to a place I had never been. I moved abroad, didn’t leave my rental for an entire year, and was terrified to make phone calls. I distanced myself from almost everyone in my life due to trust issues. I fell into a dark place,” she shared with Time.