Taylor Swift's 6 Celebrity Feuds (and Kanye's Not Even on the List!)

1. Katy Perry

The feud between Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, colloquially known as 'the pop princess spat,' is legendary. It all started around 2012 when three of Swift's backup dancers switched camps mid-tour to join Perry's California Dreams tour, a move Taylor didn't exactly handle like a field of fresh daisies. The 'Shake It Off' singer expressed her dismay in her 2014 track 'Bad Blood,' heavily implying it was about her now frenemy Perry.

And of course, like a game of top-tapping whack-a-mole, Perry struck back in 2017 with 'Swish Swish.' Now, while these artists were throwing subtlety to the wind with their song lyrics, they were not so blatant in the public sphere. Instead of directly admitting to the feud, they'd drop hints. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Swift mentioned a fellow female artist who did something 'so horrible' she was 'straight-up enemies' with her. Perry's response? A cryptic tweet referencing Mean Girls – "Watch out for the Regina George in sheep's clothing..."

The spat between the two pop princesses went on for a good four years before a literal olive branch was sent by Perry to Swift's dressing room in 2018. Since then, the two appear to have buried the hatchet, even featuring together in Swift's 'You Need to Calm Down' video as a burger and fries.

2. Nicki Minaj

The 2015 MTV VMA nominations saw Swift and rapper Nicki Minaj trading tweets in a public argument over music industry racism and sexism. The trouble started when Minaj tweeted her disappointment about her hit 'Anaconda' not being nominated for Video of the Year, despite its cultural impact. Swift, who was nominated in the category, took the tweet personally and responded, "I've done nothing but love & support you."

But this wasn't a clear-cut case of misunderstanding. Minaj's comments were meant to address the music industry's systemic biases, not an attack on Swift. Nonetheless, Taylor's response led to a flood of internet debate, a whirlwind of discourse Swift may not have been prepared for. Amid the swirl of controversy, Taylor issued an apology tweet: "I missed the point, I misunderstood, then misspoke. I'm sorry, Nicki."

While the feud didn't last long and Minaj accepted Swift's apology, the very public beef sparked a valuable conversation about the challenges faced by artists of color in the music industry.

3. John Mayer

Now, this feud is as old as time, or at least as old as Taylor Swift's 2010 album, 'Speak Now.' One of Swift's most famous diss tracks, 'Dear John,' allegedly chronicles her tumultuous relationship with singer John Mayer. The lyrics pulled no punches, leading many to believe they painted a less-than-flattering portrait of Mayer as a manipulative older man.

Mayer didn't take these lyrical jabs sitting down. In a 2012 Rolling Stone interview, he called 'Dear John' a 'lousy thing for her to do.' To Mayer, the song felt cheap, like 'a shotgun to the heart.' He even claimed he never got an inkling of Swift's feelings before she released the song, which certainly must have made for an awkward conversation or two down the line.

Despite Mayer's vocal objections, Swift has never publicly confirmed that the song was about him, maintaining an air of mystery around the entire fiasco.

4. Justin Bieber

The Bieber-Swift feud is essentially a side quest in the epic game of 'Taylor versus Scooter Braun.' It all started when music manager Scooter Braun acquired Big Machine Records and, with it, the masters of Swift's first six albums in 2019. Taylor took to social media to express her frustrations, essentially labeling Braun as a bully and saying that the move was her 'worst case scenario.'

Bieber, a long-time client of Braun's, jumped into the fray to defend his manager. In a lengthy Instagram post, he offered a pseudo-apology for his past mistakes, chided Swift for taking the dispute public, and even accused her of trying to rally her fans to hate on Braun. Not exactly the stuff of a humble peace offering.

It's worth noting that there's some history here. Remember the time Bieber mocked Swift's post-surgery banana video? Or that other time when he was caught on Instagram Live, seemingly mimicking Taylor's reaction to losing Album of the Year at the Grammys? So, when Bieber leaped to Braun's defense, it was like he had tossed a whole packet of Mentos into a bottle of Diet Coke, and of course, loyal Swifties just couldn't let go.

5. Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift have a complicated relationship. It started in 2016 when Lovato criticized Swift and her squad for setting 'unrealistic' body standards, taking a swipe at Swift's hit 'Bad Blood' and its seemingly perfect, model-filled music video.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. When Swift donated $250,000 to help Kesha in her legal battle against Dr. Luke, Lovato argued that Swift could do more for feminism by speaking out rather than 'throwing money at the problem.' Lovato, known for being vocal about her views, seemed to want Swift to make some noise rather than silently support with her checkbook.

6. Kim Kardashian

Oh boy, where do we start with this one? While technically a spin-off of the Swift/West kerfuffle, the feud between Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian is a dramatic saga all its own. The beef famously escalated in 2016 when Kardashian leaked a phone call between Swift and Kanye West on Snapchat, seemingly proving that Swift had approved the controversial lyrics about her in West's song 'Famous.'

Swift, however, claimed that she'd only approved a portion of the lyrics and wasn't told about the full extent of their content. The fallout was nuclear. Swift faced severe backlash and even a 'cancellation' attempt on social media, prompting her temporary retreat from the public eye.

In March 2020, however, the full 25-minute phone call between Swift and West leaked online, seeming to vindicate Swift's version of events. She subtly responded by asking fans to focus on what was important – donating to the World Health Organization and Feeding America during the COVID-19 pandemic.