Taylor Swift reignited feud with Kim Kardashian in her latest album, but the pair have a lot of friends in common, from Lana del Rey to Gigi Hadid and Ice Spice – so, will they be forced to take sides?
On her recent record-breaking album The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift reignited her decades-long feud with Kim Kardahian.
On the track thanK you aIMee, the 14-time Grammy award-winner sings of her apparent dislike for a mean school girl she refers to as ‘Aimee’ – who fans believe is actually Kim, as the letters K I M are capitalised in the song title.
The feud, which began with Kim’s ex-husband Kanye West ran onto stage while she was accepting a VMA in 2009 and escalated when in 2016 Kim leaked an edited and illegally recorded phone call between Kanye and Taylor.
Thirteen years on from the start of the dispute, there appears to be no sign of it disappearing – with the pair, arguably two of the most famous women alive, making no signs of amends.
But, despite Taylor seemingly having no interest in making up with Kim, the pair do share a lot of mutual friends.
Many of Taylor’s girl squad – including Lana Del Rey, Ice Spice, Gigi Hadid and Selena Gomez have all been friendly with Kim Kardashian – some even doing campaigns for Skims.
Lana, a long term pal and collaborator of Taylor, sang at Kim and Kanye’s wedding and was recently pictured with her at the Met Gala, just a couple months after she attended the Grammy’s with Taylor.
Lana Del Rey is close friends with both Taylor and Kim, pictured left at the Grammys and right at the Met Gala
Ice Spice has been to Kim’s house to hang out – and is said to be North’s favourite rapper
Ice Spice is close to Taylor and have worked on music together
In January, Lana Del Rey, 38, donned a satin blue and lace bodysuit as she posed seductively inside a giant heart with her hands clothed in gloves and a duo of matching bows in her hair for a SKIMS shoot.
Kim has talked about being a huge fan of Lana’s, and her track Young and Beautiful, and was performed by a brass brand when her now ex-husband Ye popped the question in 2013.
She even performed at Kim and Kanye’s rehearsal dinner inside the Palace of Versailles, singing her tracks Blue Jeans, Young and Beautiful, and Summertime Sadness.
Speaking with Vogue , Lana revealed her shoot with SKIMS came to be after she asked about obtaining the sold-out Swarovski dresses the brand was selling.
Coincidentally, SKIMS was also interested in working with her.
‘It was kind of a cool coincidence. I actually had asked a mutual friend [of Kim and I’s], Tracey Cunningham, if there was any way we could get one of the Swarovski [SKIMS] dresses that had sold out; At the same time, her friend Tracy Romulus asked if I’d be interested in doing a campaign. So it all happened at the exact same minute, which I took as a serendipitous sign. And I said, ‘Yeah, absolutely.’ I didn’t really hesitate. Me and my girlfriends were pretty excited, actually.’
She also described her love for the clothing made by Kim and SKIMS: ‘Well, first of all, I just love how well it’s doing for her. And second of all, I do wear basics on most days; I like wearing the little rompers, or onesies with a big T-shirt. I’m always curious to see what they’re going to do; it’s an ever-evolving brand.
‘It started as kind of a niche brand, and I feel like it’s grown into a thing where now my sister and my best friend Margaret are wearing it. All of a sudden you’re like, ‘Oh, you’re wearing SKIMS too,’ and you show up in the same outfit as you’re getting a coffee. It’s really kind of sweet.’
But despite her closeness with Kim K, there is no bad blood between Lana and Taylor, who have often collaborated together.
Meanwhile the Hadid sisters are long-term friends of both Taylor and the Kardashian Klan. Gigi Hadid is pictured with Kim and Taylor
Selena Gomez is Taylor’s best friend – but has been a long term family friend of the Kardashains
At the Grammys this year, Lana’s album Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd positioned the artist as a contender for the Best Alternative Music Album, which went to The Record by boygenius, and the prestigious Album of the Year award, which went to Lana’s bestie Taylor .
During her acceptance speech for Album of the Year, Taylor gave a shout-out to Lana, who cowrote and featured on the Midnights track Snow on the Beach.
‘Lana Del Rey, who is hiding, I think so many female artists would not be where they are and would not have the inspiration they have if it weren’t for the work that she’s done,’ Taylor said.
‘I think she’s a legacy artist, a legend in her prime right now. I’m so lucky to know you and to be your friend.’
Elsewhere, Ice Spice is another of Taylor’s musical collaborators and pals.
After featuring on a remix of Taylor’s track Karma, Ice Spice and Taylor have become close friends attending several events together.
The rapper, 24, joined Taylor at the VMAs and the Super Bowl.
But she is also friends with Kim – and has even taken TikToks with Kim’s 10-year-old daughter North.
Ice Spice is said to be North’s ‘favourite rapper’ and she has even dressed up as her for TikTok videos.
SKIMS connection: Brittany Mahomes is seen modelling for Kim Kardashian’s brand SKIMS
The pair seemed inseparable, cozied up in stadium stands, downing shots for the jumbotron and dancing together at debauched afterparties.
Travis and Taylor are seen with Brittany and Patrick Mahomes on NYE
Taylor Swift picked up the tab during a recent girls’ night with fellow Kansas City Chiefs WAGs Brittany Mahomes, Lyndsay Bell, Paige Buechele and eight others at one of her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s favorite restaurants; seen in November
Taylor Swift cheers on the Chiefs and Kelce from Arrowhead box
Meanwhile the Hadid sisters are long-term friends of both Taylor and the Kardashian Klan.
Gigi Hadid was seen at Taylor’s recent Paris show, alongside her boyfriend Bradley Cooper and Taylor’s beaut Travis Kelce.
Gigi, 29, is believed to have met Taylor at an Oscars party in 2014 with the pair striking up a friendship. The supermodel also starred in Taylor’s music video for Bad Blood with the pair gushing about their friendship over the years.
‘As a friend, Gigi is one of the first people I go to for advice. She has this incredible ability to see all sides of a situation and simplify it for you, to see the complexity of people,
‘Gigi’s #1 rule is to treat people the way she’d want to be treated, so she’s on time (or early) to work, says hello to everyone on set, asks them how they are, and actually listens to their response.,’ Taylor told Harper’s Bazaar.
Meanwhile, Bella Hadid, 27, recently telling Drew Barrymore: ‘I’m a hardcore Swiftie.’
‘Taylor is amazing. And she’s just the most humble, sweet, adorable human being,’ she added.
However, both sisters have been long-term friends with the Kardahshians, particularly with Kim’s sister Kendall.
The trio started modelling together and are often pictured shopping, dining and partying together. Kendall was briefly linked to their brother Anwar, who went on to date Dua Lipa.
‘I think Kendall and I have a really good friendship in the sense that we have different career paths but we’re both kind of on equal points in our careers where we really understand each other,’ Gigi told in 2015.
The three also grew up in a close knit community in Los Angeles, with their families linked.
Kendall and Kylie’s half-brothers Brandon and Brody Jenner were raised by their step-dad David Foster, after their father divorced their mother Linda Thompson and married Kardashain matriarch Kris Jenner.
Taylor’s feud with Kim and Kanye had been bubbling to the surface as early as 2009, seemingly out of the blue, when 19-year-old Taylor was at the MTV Video Music Awards, accepting the Best Female Video award for You Belong with Me
But the tension only continued when the father-of-four humiliated the star once again at the VMAs in 2015. Taylor pictured with Kim at the award show
But after Linda and David split, David went on to marry Bella and Gigi’s mother Yolanada Hadid, thus raising the supermodels too.
Meanwhile Sabrina Carpenter, a very close friend of Taylor who supported her on the US branch of the Eras tour, recently sent temperatures soaring as the latest celeb to model for SKIMS in April.
The snaps depicted the musician hanging out in her bedroom, strewn with books and decorated with celebrity posters, as she chatted with a friend on a landline phone and listened to her portable CD player.
But Swifites have been quick to slam the Feather singer for the collaboration, with some taking to social media to admit it ‘doesn’t sit right with them’ and claiming they’re ‘disappointed’ by the young star’s choice.
Swifites have been quick to slam the Feather singer for the collaboration, with some taking to social media to admit it ‘doesn’t sit right with them’
The move from Sabrina came amid a blooming friendship between herself and Taylor, as the pair have bonded over the Eras tour.
Sabrina has gushed over how ‘very honoured’ she felt to be a part of the experience and expressed her gratitude to Taylor in an Instagram post.
She went on to give ‘a huge thank you to the incredible crew for being so hardworking and talented,’ before turning her attention to the Wildest Dreams superstar by offering her ‘the most thank you’s I’ve ever thank you’ to Taylor.’
Elsewhere, Taylor’s fellow Kansas City Chiefs WAG Brittany Mahomes recently modelled for SKIMS, alongside her husband and Travis’ teammate Patrick.
In November, pictures of Brittany and Patrick with their two children – daughter Sterling, aged two, and son Patrick, almost one – were shared on social media as they posed in red-and-black plaid SKIMS sleepwear just in time for Christmas.
Taylor continued to accuse Kanye of lying about asking her permission to reference her in his lyrics which prompted Kim to release a partial recording of the call in question. Kanye and Taylor at the VMAs in 2015
The feud has continued to rumble on ever since – with veiled jibes being made on both sides of the divide. Taylor, Kim and Kanye in 2015
‘We loved shooting for SKIMS as a family and had the best time on set,’ said Brittany. ‘The matching sets and prints are so adorable and cozy. SKIMS will be a staple for our entire family for the holidays and beyond.’
‘This is our first campaign as a family, and shooting for SKIMS all together was an awesome moment,’ said Patrick. ‘I’m all about comfort and these sets will be my go-to at home all season.’
But Brittany’s collab with Kim hasn’t seemed to effect her friendship with Taylor.
The pair recently shared snaps together hanging out at the Superbowl, while the pair have been spotted out looking cosy together.
‘Taylor and Brittany have grown even closer over the past several months. They have a really genuine friendship and love hanging out at the games together and cheering on their men. Brittany loves that Taylor is dating Travis, and she’s so supportive of their relationship. They have a very similar sense of humour and are always cracking jokes and laughing,’ a source told Us Weekly in January.
Even Taylor’s best friend Selena Gomez has a long-standing relationship with Kim, having been friends with Kendall and Kylie as teens.
While her relationship with the family has been up and down over the years, she’s previously promoted Skims saying they are ‘so fricking comfortable’.
Selena, who says she would ‘die for Taylor’ and called her ‘her only friend in the industry’ has also shared selfies with Kris Jenner over the years.
Selena Gomez is best friends with Selena’s younger sister Gracie
Selena is pictured with the Jenner sisters at Coachella in the noughties
Selena has also shared selfies with Kris Jenner
Recently, Selena’s little sister Gracie appeared in a music video for Kanye West. She is the same age and best friends with North.
Taylor and Selena have been longtime friends since they met through the Jonas Brothers 16 years ago.
Back in 2008, the pair kicked off their longstanding friendship when Taylor was dating Joe and Selena was thought to be dating Nick.
A month later after their double date, Taylor attended the premiere of Selena’s film, Another Cinderella Story, to show her support.
Since then, the duo have attended many red carpets, many award shows, and celebrated a number of birthdays together.
Selena has also made surprise appearances at Taylor’s concert tours including Speak Now and Reputation.
In August, Selena attended Taylor’s concert in Los Angeles as well as Arlington, Texas amid her ongoing, career-spanning Eras Tour with her younger sister, Gracie.
Selena even accidentally started a temporary feud with her friend Francia Raisa after she called Taylor her ‘only friend in the industry’ during an interview with Rolling Stone.
Francia, who donated a kidney to Selena, was apparently upset with Selena, though the Wizards Of Waverly Place star later clarified that she was referring to the music industry, which didn’t mean that Francia couldn’t still be a good friend in the film and television industry.
In November, Selena also joined Swift Taylor a girls’ night in New York City with Sophie Turner, Gigi Hadid, Cara Delevingne and Brittany Mahomes.
And for Taylor’s birthday on December 13, Selena shared a heartfelt birthday tribute to her pal, in which she called the performer a ‘goddess.’
Hayley Knight, co-founder and Director of Communications at BE YELLOW, previously explained that is might be understandable Taylor’s friends are mates with Kim.
‘It may seem surprising that Taylor’s besties including Lana Del Ray, Sabrina Carpenter and Brittany Mahomes have starred in individual adverts for SKIMS, and if you trawl through the hoards of TikTok videos and investigations, these campaigns have certainly ruffled the feathers of the fans, with many trying to figure out Taylor’s position in all of this.
‘Well, with revenge songs such as Bad Blood in her back catalogue, we can assume that if Taylor took issue to any of these campaigns, which first launched in November, we would have certainly heard about it by now, or at least the ripples of it.’
‘But the reality of it is, is that these campaigns would have been in the works for months, and strategised by Kris Jenner, and very possibly discussed with Taylor by her friends.’
Hayley said it’s ‘neither here nor there’ whether Kim could be trying to get closer to Taylor or extend an olive branch – ‘which could be possible’.
‘This shouldn’t overshadow the campaigns themselves, which have all been strategically executed,’ she said.
Despite many friends in common, there seems to be no reconciliation coming between the pair.
In December, Taylor slammed the reality show star for ‘taking her down psychologically’ and forcing her into hiding during their long-running feud – while subtly branding the fashion influencer and her ex-husband Kanye ‘Ye’ West as ‘trash’.
The singer, 34, who was named TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year, dished on the dispute which started when Kim’s then-husband wrote a 2016 song to include vulgar lyrics about the rising star.
He claimed Taylor had consented to the reference but, after denying it, Kim also weighed in and released what the popstar described as ‘an illegally recorded phone call’ between the pair which she claimed proved otherwise.
Taylor admitted that the public fallout said it felt like ‘a career death,’ adding: ‘Make no mistake — my career was taken away from me.’
Discussing the aftermath and the brutal toll that it took on her wellbeing, Taylor told the outlet: ‘You have a fully manufactured frame job, in an illegally recorded phone call, which Kim Kardashian edited and then put out to say to everyone that I was a liar.’
‘That took me down psychologically to a place I’ve never been before. I moved to a foreign country. I didn’t leave a rental house for a year. I was afraid to get on phone calls.’
Although she didn’t elaborate on where she moved to, Swift began dating British actor Joe Alwyn in late 2016, and it was widely rumoured that she had rented a home in London in order to spend more time with him.
During that period, she all but vanished from the public eye, something that she says came as a result of the Kardashian and West fallout.
‘I pushed away most people in my life because I didn’t trust anyone anymore. I went down really, really hard.’
Most of the pop icon’s next album Reputation, released in 2017, was aimed at her experience during the ordeal.
But the abundance of snake imagery used in veiled reference to mom-of-four Kim only reignited the furore.
‘I thought that moment of backlash was going to define me negatively for the rest of my life,’ she explained.
Yet, in the years that followed, Taylor’s career has only gone from strength to strength – while many of her adversaries have suffered major setbacks, including Kanye.
The rapper, 46, recently lost a slew of endorsement deals after a series of anti-Semitic remarks.
Elaborating on how life in the limelight can be delicate, Taylor added: ‘Nothing is permanent. So I’m very careful to be grateful every second that I get to be doing this at this level, because I’ve had it taken away from me before.
‘There is one thing I’ve learned: My response to anything that happens, good or bad, is to keep making things. Keep making art.’
However she took another swing at Kardashian, West, and anyone else who she believes has tried to stifle her success, remarking: ‘Trash takes itself out every single time.’
‘But I’ve also learned there’s no point in actively trying to quote unquote defeat your enemies,’ she said. ‘Trash takes itself out every single time.’
Both were present while a loved up Taylor made an appearance at this year’s Superbowl to cheer on boyfriend Travis Kelce.
Taylor’s feud with Kim and Kanye had been bubbling to the surface as early as 2009, seemingly out of the blue, when 19-year-old Taylor was at the MTV Video Music Awards, accepting the Best Female Video award for You Belong with Me.
Suddenly, in the middle of her acceptance speech, Kanye jumped on the stage, grabbed the microphone out of her hands and bellowed: ‘Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you and Imma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time!’
In a bid to diffuse the tension, Beyoncé later called Taylor up on stage when she won Video of the Year for Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), and allowed the country music star a moment in the spotlight.
But the tension only continued when the father-of-four humiliated the star once again at the VMAs in 2015.
It appeared the pair were getting on as Kanye joked: ‘You know how many times they announced Taylor was going to give me the award ’cause it got them more ratings?’
However, Taylor later announced that his statement truly irked her, as he made out in public that it was for ratings, but in private, asked her to be on stage with him as it would ‘mean so much.’
Taylor later told Rolling Stone: ‘I’m standing in the audience with my arm around his wife, and this chill ran through my body. I realised he is so two-faced.
‘That he wants to be nice to me behind the scenes, but then he wants to look cool, get up in front of everyone and talk s**t. And I was so upset.’
By February 2016 the tensions reached an explosive boiling point after Kanye referenced Taylor in the lyrics of his hit, Famous.
Taylor took offense at the rapper’s lyric: ‘For all my South Side n****s that know me best / I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b***h famous.’
The accompanying music video also depicted a naked Taylor lying in his bed next to him – along with a whole host of other celebrities – with nude Kim on the other side.
Kanye defended the line, claiming he had a conversation with Taylor about the lyrics in question ahead of time, which she denied.
Taylor continued to accuse Kanye of lying about asking her permission to reference her in his lyrics which prompted Kim to release a partial recording of the call in question.
‘I’m really glad you had the respect to call me that and tell me that as a friend, about the song. It’s just a really cool thing to do, and a really good show of friendship,’ Taylor is heard saying.
Taylor hit back by claiming that although Kanye spoke through some aspects of the lyrics, she did not consent to being referred to as a ‘b***h.’
The feud has continued to rumble on ever since – with veiled jibes being made on both sides of the divide.
However, more recently, Kim appeared to issue an update during a 2019 appearance on E! talk show alongside sisters Khloe and Kourtney.
Host Andy Cohen oversaw a game of called Squash That Beef in which the reality star dismissed the idea of any lingering tension between her and the Reputation singer.
‘Over it,’ she told Cohen of the feud.
Kim said she let time diffuse the matter, rather than hashing things out through a conversation.
Asked if the pair have spoken, she told Andy: ‘No. I feel like we’ve all moved on.’
Similarly, in 2022 Kim sat down for an interview and was asked what her favorite Taylor Swift song was, to which she responded: ‘I really like a lot of her songs. They’re all super cute and catchy. I’d have to look in my phone to get a name.’
