Unpacking the Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian Feud: A Timeline of Their Ongoing Drama

Are Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian Friends

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After years of a rocky relationship, where do Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian currently stand in their feud?

It's important to note that Kim Kardashian was pulled into the drama with Swift through her marriage to Kanye West. Defending her now-ex-husband created a complicated situation for Kardashian.

In 2009, West made headlines for interrupting Swift's VMAs speech to say Beyoncé deserved the award. He later apologized, but things stirred up again in 2016 with his album Life of Pablo.

On the album, there's a song called "Famous" where West raps, "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? / I made that bitch famous."

Swift initially stated that she was unaware of being called "that bitch" in the song. However, Kardashian believed otherwise.

In her June 2016 GQ cover story, the reality star insisted that Swift had given her full approval for the lyric. This led to the beginning of their feud, marked by the use of snake emojis.

Keep scrolling for a complete timeline of the drama:

2009

Are Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian Friends

Taylor Swift, Rita Ora and Kim Kardashian in the VIP Glamour area at the MTV EMAs Dave Hogan/MTV 2012/Getty Images

Kardashian called herself “the biggest Taylor Swift fan” during an interview with Entertainment Tonight.

August 2015

June 2016

During the MTV VMAs in June 2016, there was a surprising moment when Kanye West and Taylor Swift ended their feud. Kim Kardashian was also in attendance at the event. As West went up on stage to receive the Video Vanguard Award, Kardashian stood by his side with her arm around Swift. It was a significant moment of reconciliation in the music industry.

Kardashian stood up for West's "Famous" lyric during her interview with GQ. She mentioned that she was aware of its release and claimed that Taylor Swift also knew about it. According to Kardashian, West followed the proper approval process before including the lyric in his song.

In July 2016, Swift disputed Kardashian's version of events regarding her conversation with West.

Swift clarified that she had only spoken to West once on the phone about the song "Famous" in January 2016. She also stated that she never denied having that conversation with West.

Are Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian Friends

aylor Swift, Jay Z, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West attend The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Swift recently responded to the released phone call between her and Kanye West on Snapchat, which included snake emojis. In the call, Swift only heard the lyric "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex," which she seemed okay with. However, she took issue with the line "I made that bitch famous."

After the video went public, Swift expressed her disappointment. She wanted to like the song and have a friendly relationship with Kanye. He had promised to play the song for her, but never did. Swift clarified that while she tried to be supportive on the call, you can't truly approve a song you haven't heard. She felt unfairly portrayed as a liar without being given the full story or hearing the song, which she saw as character assassination.

August 2017

Swift released “Look What You Made Me Do” as a way to reclaim her career — and the use of snake imagery.

January 2019

Are Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian Friends

Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian were both seen at the MTV Video Music Awards. Kardashian mentioned during an interview on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen that she had "moved on" from the drama involving Swift.

March 2020

The full phone call between Swift and West was leaked online, proving that she really wasn’t privy to the “bitch” line.

Swift posted on social media addressing the leaked video footage that proved her honesty regarding a controversial call. She encouraged her followers to focus on important matters by promoting the World Health Organization and Feeding America during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kardashian also shared her perspective, stating that her only concern with Swift was the alleged dishonesty. She highlighted that the conversation was indeed recorded and revealed to the public, emphasizing that the word "bitch" was used without Swift's approval.

What Is the Best Song on Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department?’

December 2021

“I really like a lot of her songs,” Kardashian said during a podcast interview. “They’re all super cute and catchy. I’d have to look in my phone to get a name.”

January 2023

Kardashian’s eldest daughter, North West, posted a video dancing to Swift’s “Shake It Off.”

December 2023

Swift recently discussed the feud with TIME, describing it as something that significantly impacted her career and mental well-being.

She mentioned feeling deeply affected by the situation, particularly due to what she perceived as a deliberate attempt to discredit her through edited and leaked phone call recordings.

April 2024

Swift's release of The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology included a song titled “thanK you aIMee,” which seemed to be a nod to Kardashian as the capitalized letters spell out KIM.

The lyrics portray Aimee as a bully, resembling Kardashian as Swift has hinted before. However, Swift did acknowledge Aimee's influence at one point in the song.

"I can't forgive the way you made me feel / Screamed 'F—k you, Aimee' into the night sky, as the blood was gushing," she sings. "But I can't forget the way you made me heal."

Editor's P/S:

The tumultuous relationship between Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian has been a subject of public fascination for years. Stemming from Kanye West's controversial lyric about Swift in his