Taylor Swift's Feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian: A Career-Ending Nightmare
Taylor Swift opens up about the infamous 2016 feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, revealing it felt like a devastating blow to her career and took a toll on her mental well-being
In an interview with Time magazine, Taylor Swift revealed that her 2016 feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian made her feel like her career was over, taking a toll on her mental health. Swift shared these thoughts after being named the publication's "Person of the Year" for 2023.
During the interview, released on Wednesday, the singer recounted a situation in which West, also known as Ye, wrote a song with lyrics about Swift. After facing criticism, West stated that Swift had approved the lyrics beforehand, a claim that Swift denied.
West's former wife, Kardashian, later released a video of what she claimed was a conversation between Swift and West, providing evidence to support the rapper's claim.
Swift pictured in Los Angeles, California, in February 2023.
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
Swift told Time that she felt the incident was "a career death."
"My career was unjustly taken away from me," she declared. "The phone call was illegally recorded and manipulated by Kim Kardashian to falsely portray me as a liar."
"I was taken to a psychological low I had never experienced before. After moving to a foreign country, I found myself unable to leave my rental house for an entire year, and I even became afraid to make phone calls," shared the singer.
"I distanced myself from most people in my life because I had lost all trust in anyone. I hit rock bottom," she admitted.
This wasn't the first clash between the two singers. In 2009, West famously interrupted Swift's acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Taylor Swift performs onstage during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at Allianz Parque on November 24, 2023 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Buda Mendes/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Taylor Swift named Times Person of the Year
Since then, Swift has continued to excel in her career, while West experienced a loss of partnerships with fashion brands such as Gap, Balenciaga, and Adidas due to antisemitic comments in 2022. Swift's achievement of winning Time's "Person of the Year" award, beating out Barbie and King Charles III, was credited to her growing impact by the magazine.
"Swift, 33, has seen her popularity soar over the years, but it's this year that she achieved something truly groundbreaking: blending art and commerce to unleash a historical force of energy," the magazine stated.
Time magazine selected Swift because she was able to inspire hope in people worldwide during difficult times.
Time's profile stated, "There is no one else on the planet today who can effectively mobilize such a large number of people. Often, we attribute this achievement to cosmic alignments and fate, but attributing too much credit to the stars overlooks her exceptional skill and influence."
