Taylor Swift Reflects on Feeling ‘Lower Than Ever’ During Feud With Kim Kardashian

A few years ago, Taylor Swift was embroiled in a very public feud with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West after Kardashian leaked audio of Swift during a phone call with West in which she approved of a line in West’s song, “Famous.”

Swift later revealed that she did not approve of the full line in which West called her a b—, but Kardashian used the audio to brand Swift a “snake,” a title the singer later reclaimed.

In a new essay for ELLE magazine in which she shared 30 lessons she’s learned before her 30th birthday this year, Swift reflected on the experience, writing that Kardashian’s bullying left her “feeling lower than I’ve ever felt.”

“I learned that disarming someone’s petty bullying can be as simple as learning to laugh,” she wrote. “In my experience, I’ve come to see that bullies want to be feared and taken seriously. A few years ago, someone started an online hate campaign by calling me a snake on the internet. The fact that so many people jumped on board with it led me to feeling lower than I’ve ever felt in my life.”

The feud led to Swift’s sixth studio album, Reputation, and the Reputation Stadium Tour, during which snake imagery featured heavily.

“I can’t tell you how hard I had to keep from laughing every time my 63-foot inflatable cobra named Karyn appeared onstage in front of 60,000 screaming fans,” Swift revealed. “It’s the Stadium Tour equivalent of responding to a troll’s hateful Instagram comment with ‘LOL.’”

Swift acknowledged that while she would appreciate an apology from Kardashian, knowing that she could overcome such a situation is validation enough.

“It would be nice if we could get an apology from people who bully us, but maybe all I’ll ever get is the satisfaction of knowing I could survive it, and thrive in spite of it,” she wrote.

The pop star also praised her fans for sticking by her during the turbulent time and shared that seeing them during her recent tour was a major moment for her.

“I learned that I have friends and fans in my life who don’t care if I’m #canceled. They were there in the worst times and they’re here now. The fans and their care for me, my well-being, and my music were the ones who pulled me through,” Swift explained. “The most emotional part of the Reputation Stadium Tour for me was knowing I was looking out at the faces of the people who helped me get back up. I’ll never forget the ones who stuck around.”

Photo Credit: Getty / Jun Sato/TAS18