Taylor Swift’s fury at ‘four years of hell’ at the hands of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West
WITH massive fame and even bigger fortunes, they are three of the hugest stars on the planet.
But even as the world fights a global pandemic, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and Taylor Swift can't let go of their toxic war of words.
Taylor, 30, had remained quiet since a leaked 25-minute recording of a phone call between her and rapper Kanye — discussing his controversial lyrics about her in his 2016 song Famous — appeared online at the weekend.
Previously Kanye had used an edited version of the call to claim he had her permission for the song, which includes the lyrics: “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. I made that bitch famous.”
But yesterday Taylor spoke out, claiming the full-length recording, which appeared online mysteriously, proved she was: “Telling the truth the whole time.”
She always disputed Kanye’s version of events.
Taylor described the dispute as, “Four years of hell”, but urged the world to focus on, “What really matters”.
‘HIS BEHAVIOUR HAS BEEN BULLYING'
She added: “Instead of answering those who are asking how I feel about the video footage that leaked, proving that I was telling the truth the whole time about *that call* (you know, the one that was illegally recorded, that somebody edited and manipulated in order to frame me and put me, my family and fans through hell for four years)...”
She then posted a link to two organisations supporting those hit by the coronavirus pandemic, adding: “The World Health Organisation and Feeding America are some of the organisations I’ve been donating to.
“If you have the ability to, please join me in donating during this crisis.”
Insiders say the singer is privately livid with Kanye, 42, and his reality star wife and is determined for the world to know what really happened.
Close friends, including Todrick Hall, a judge on BBC1’s The Greatest Dancer, were quick to leap to her defence.
But Taylor still wants the rapper — who interrupted her acceptance speech for Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV VMAs — to admit she did not give him permission to abuse her in the sexist lyrics.
A source said: “Taylor feels that Kanye’s behaviour has been bullying and led to her being bombarded with the most unbelievable abuse.
“She doesn’t want this to keep rumbling on in public, but she does feel hurt that he has claimed she would endorse his misogynistic track and then lie about that.
“And if this latest episode proves that then she’ll be very pleased. They all used to be friendly, but it has clearly gone beyond something that can be quietly smoothed over.”
The A-list bust-up stems from a telephone call in 2016, ahead of Kanye releasing his single Famous. Shortly after it came out, Taylor spoke out about her horror at the lyrics.
Kim, 39, then claimed her husband had sought her permission in advance, posting a short clip of a telephone call which revealed they had spoken about the song.
The backlash sparked furious criticism of Taylor online and saw her flooded with images of snakes from people accusing her of lying.
The ordeal inspired her 2017 album Reputation. But crucially, the fully leaked tapes confirm Kanye did not reveal details of the lyrics before asking her to post a link to the release of the track on her Twitter profile.
Celebs' toxic feud
- IN 2016 Kanye releases Famous and raps: “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex, I made that b*tch famous”
- Taylor Swift labels the track “misogynistic” in a furious public statement
- Kim claims that Taylor gave Kanye permission and releases a clip of a phone call allegedly proving it
- Taylor denies it, prompting a furious backlash on social media
- This week the full phone call is leaked online and Taylor says she is vindicated
In the recording, the rapper is heard saying: “So my next single, I wanted you to tweet it, so that’s why I’m calling you. I wanted you to put the song out.”
He adds that the song includes a “very controversial line” about her, prompting Taylor to warily ask if it is, “Gonna be mean”.
He replies: “It’s like my wife’s favourite f***ing line. It says, ‘To all my Southside n****** that know me best, I feel like Taylor Swift might owe me sex.”
Taylor is heard to express relief that the song doesn’t call her, “That stupid dumb bitch”.
‘SHOW THOSE CAKES, KANYE'
She then asks for time to think it over and Kanye promises to send over the final lyrics. But he failed to do so before releasing the record.
When it came out, Taylor’s representatives labelled the track “misogynistic”, saying she would never have endorsed it.
The single’s accompanying video, which saw a waxwork-type versions of Taylor and Kim naked in bed alongside a semi-clothed Kanye, sparked further allegations of sexism.
After Taylor spoke out yesterday, Kim immediately hit back, accusing her of reigniting the feud for “self-serving” reasons.
She said: “Taylor has chosen to reignite an old exchange, that at this point in time feels very self-serving given the suffering millions of real victims are facing right now.
“I didn’t feel the need to comment a few days ago (when the recording came out), and I’m actually really embarrassed and mortified to be doing it right now, but because she continues to speak on it, I feel I’m left without a choice but to respond because she is actually lying.
“To be clear, the only issue I ever had around the situation was that Taylor lied through her publicist, who stated that, ‘Kanye never called to ask for permission’. They clearly spoke so I let you all see that.”
Taylor’s pal Todrick replied, labelling Kim “self-absorbed, entitled and stubborn”.
He added that she was unlikely to be embarrassed by the row having previously appeared in a sex tape with her ex-boyfriend, rapper Ray J.
He added: “They failed to mention they were going to have a life-sized nude figure of Taylor.
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“You want to make Taylor and Kim naked in the video but not himself, show those cakes Kanye if you’re going to force the women in your video to be naked. Double standards and just shady.”
Kim later apologised for the “boring” saga.
But while both women concede there are many “more important” issues in the world today, there seems little chance of their stand-off thawing any time soon.
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