Billboard issued an apology after the magazine put together a video of some of Swift’s achievements and used a clip from Kanye West’s music video for the song “Famous.” (CNN via CNN Newsource)
Billboard magazine has issued an apology to Taylor Swift following criticism over its attempt to honor the artist.
The publication recently ranked the top pop stars of the 21st century, placing the 34-year-old singer-songwriter at No. 2. As part of the recognition, Billboard created a video highlighting Swift’s accomplishments. However, the video included a controversial clip from Kanye West’s 2016 music video for “Famous,” which features a wax figure of a nude Swift alongside the line, “I made that [expletive] famous.”
The inclusion of this clip sparked backlash due to its connection to a highly publicized feud between Swift, West, and his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. At the time, Swift had disputed giving West approval to use the line, while Kardashian released a video that she claimed supported West’s version of events. Years later, an extended version of their phone conversation surfaced online, seemingly supporting Swift’s account.
After facing criticism for using the clip, Billboard apologized via social media. “We are deeply sorry to Taylor Swift and to our readers and viewers,” the statement read. “Including the clip was an error, and we regret the harm it caused. The clip has since been removed from the video.”
