The Most Bizarre Taylor Swift Conspiracy Theories Over The Years
Taylor Swift has the Wildest Dreams, but she also attracts some of the wildest conspiracy theories. As arguably the biggest living pop star, Swift's unprecedented success is the stuff of dreams. But with great fame comes even greater nonsense. Good thing she knows how to shake it off, right?
Since bursting onto the music scene, Swift has been the subject of theories ranging from amusing to utterly ridiculous. People say she insured her legs for $40 million, buys homes next to the men she dates, and even lacks a belly button. And those are just the tip of the iceberg. PR expert Ronn Torossian told Forbes that conspiracy theories are just part of being a public figure, especially for someone as iconic as Swift. "When access to someone that is globally successful is all-encompassing, the level of visibility inevitably attracts scrutiny and criticism," he explained.
Swift, however, has mastered the art of ignoring these rumors. In an interview with Vogue, she shared her foolproof strategy: doing nothing. "There are a lot of really easy ways to dispel rumors. If they say you are pregnant, all you have to do is continue to not be pregnant and not have a baby," she said. "If the rumor is that you have fake friendships, all you have to do is continue to be there for each other." Some theories, though, may be much harder to shake. Here are just a few of the most bizarre ones about the "Fortnight" singer.
Some believe that Super Bowl LVIII was rigged to convince Taylor to endorse Biden
Taylor Swift's political views have always been a hot topic among fans and critics alike. She's slammed for being vocal about her support and just as harshly criticized when she stays silent. Her staunchest haters? The right wing. A Monmouth University poll even revealed that 1 in 5 Americans think Swift is somehow involved in Joe Biden's 2024 presidential campaign.
What's more, some believe she only dated Travis Kelce to boost her clout and that the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII so the two could endorse Biden. The idea is that, with their massive followings, they could supposedly sway the election in Biden's favor. "It gets attention because you have the biggest singer in the world, the biggest sporting event in the world, combined with the biggest and most important election in the world," Joseph E. Uscinski, a political science professor at the University of Miami who specializes in conspiracy theories, explained with The Washington Post.
Unsurprisingly, Swift has stayed silent on this wild theory, seemingly not giving the ridiculous idea a time of day. Biden's team, however, had a field day with it on social media. Shortly after the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers, his official X (formerly Twitter) account posted an edit of his portrait with red beam lights shooting out of his eyes. The caption? "Just like we drew it up." Touche!
A subset of Swifties think Taylor is queer and has dated her friends
You might casually refer to Taylor Swift as Taylor, but to some fans, she's "Gaylor." To those not in the fandom, a sizable chunk of Swifties believe that Swift is queer and has dated some of her closest friends. This conspiracy theory is so twisted it's tough to pinpoint its origins, but standout rumors involve rumored romances with Dianna Agron and Karlie Kloss.
When Swift, a vocal LGBTQ ally, released the song "Wonderland" (Agron has an "Alice in Wonderland" tattoo) and dedicated the album "Red" to her and some pals, some fans were convinced they dated. Agron debunked this on Jimmy Kimmel, saying, "No [we didn't date], but wouldn't that be juicy" (via E! News). But what's bigger than Swiftgron is Kaylor, the ship name for Swift and Kloss. Though it seems the two have had a falling out, they were once rumored to be together for quite some time. "Evidence" included their vacation in Big Sur, easter eggs in song lyrics hinting at a forbidden romance, and Swift herself liking Kaylor posts on social media.
Swift subtly debunked these rumors in the prologue of her "1989 (Taylor's Version)" album, reflecting on her naivety in thinking she'd avoid such speculation by distancing herself from men and sticking to her squad. "I swore off dating and decided to focus only on myself, my music, my growth, and my female friendships," she penned. "If I only hung out with my female friends, people couldn't sensationalize or sexualize that, right? I would learn later on that people could and people would."
There are still people believing that she's part of the Illuminati
Nearly every celebrity who hits the peak of fame gets accused of being connected to the Illuminati. From Kanye West and Rihanna to Beyoncé, LeBron James, Kim Kardashian, and Donald Trump, fans are convinced there's a secret society of the rich and famous plotting to take over the world. Naturally, Swift, given her stature, is a clear shoo-in. It certainly doesn't help that part of her brand revolves around the number 13.
Swift is famously obsessed with the not-so-lucky number 13 and has woven it into her persona. "I was born on the 13th. I turned 13 on Friday the 13th. My first album went gold in 13 weeks. My first No. 1 song had a 13-second intro," she shared in an interview with Jay Leno in 2009. "Every time I've won an award I've been seated in either the 13th seat, the 13th row, the 13th section or row M, which is the 13th letter." And since the number 13 is significant in Illuminati lore, well, you can see where this is going.
To add to the craziness, there's a theory that Kanye West initiated her into this secret society. Apparently, humiliation is a rite of passage, and West delivered it at the 2009 VMAs by interrupting her acceptance speech to declare that Beyoncé deserved the award. West, however, denied any Illuminati ties, and Swift, well, she just genuinely loves the number 13. "I'm tired of people pinpointing musicians as the Illuminati," the rapper once wrote in a piece for Paper. "That's ridiculous. We don't run anything; we're celebrities."
There are also some who think she's a 4chan user
Taylor Swift has had an impressive social media presence from the start, often personally engaging with fans online. But some believe she's been dabbling (or at least used to dabble) in the darker corners of the internet, particularly 4chan, the anonymous bulletin board infamous for its controversial content.
The theory comes from some uncanny coincidences between posts on 4chan and Swift's life. For instance, when an anonymous user asked what to name their cat, one suggestion was Meredith. The next day, Swift revealed she had named her new cat Meredith (though she claims it's after Meredith Grey from "Grey's Anatomy"). Another time, a user wrote, "Nothing quite like a freezing cold, wintery beach," and Swift posted the exact same line on X (formerly Twitter) the same day.
Theory? Hardly. https://t.co/yOTc7WqaXf pic.twitter.com/SX5EQG14S0
— 𝕵𝖆𝖉𝖊 ☧❤️🔥☀️ (@JadeAtrophis) November 6, 2023
Sure, these could just be coincidences, but it's easy to see why fans might make the connection. Some, however, are certain it's all just gossip, with one Reddit user pointing out, "Via my tumblr, I've spoken to the person behind this. It's most likely NOT her. The person told me they stopped doing this long ago because of the level of attention it received and the fact there have been some creeps bothering her IRL in the news. Decided such a simple joke has gone too far when there are some very real creeps out there."
Is Taylor a clone of a celebrity satanist?
Taylor Swift is many things, but a clone isn't one of them. Yet, it's one of those lies about her that people believe, with some convinced that she's a clone of Zeena LaVey, an artist, musician, and author of "Demons of the Flesh: The Complete Guide to Left Hand Path Sex Magic." Oh, and she's also the daughter of the guy who founded the Church of Satan. LaVey reportedly served as the high priestess for the church from 1985 to 1990, conveniently leaving a year after Swift was born (she later became a Buddhist). And yes, they look so alike that they could be twins. Or clones. Wait, what?
But spoiler alert: they're not. Swift only has one sibling, her brother Austin Swift, and they're definitely not twins. There's no record of Swift being related to LaVey, so their resemblance is just a coincidence. And besides, Swift doesn't need another conspiracy link — she's already been roped into the Illuminati, haven't you heard?