Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes Explained Their Friendship, Feud, and Backlash

Although Swift was photographed with this group quite a bit during her time as a WAG, the timing of this hookup was notable due to the controversy surrounding Brittany Mahomes’ political ties.

Less than two weeks before her US Open appearance, Brittany Mahomes came under fire for liking an Instagram post from Donald Trump that highlighted several key talking points from his presidential campaign, including racist and transphobic statements , such as “stop the migrant invasion” and “keep men OUT of women’s sports.”

Instead of clarifying her position, Mahomes shared a vague message on her Instagram story, appearing to dismiss her critics as “haters” with “deep-rooted issues.” She later doubled down by retweeting a tweet that read: “You can disagree with someone and still love them. You can have different opinions and still be kind.”

As a result, Mahomes earned a personalized tribute from Trump on his own platform, Truth Social. “I want to thank the beautiful Brittany Mahomes for standing up for me so strongly,” he wrote. “It’s nice to see someone who loves our country and wants to save it from DOOM.”

Although Swift has yet to endorse a presidential candidate this year, she has historically voted for Democrats. Swift was particularly critical of Trump, accusing him of “fanning the flames of white supremacy” and trying to “subvert and destroy our right to vote” in 2020.

Leftist Swifties hoped their idol would move away from Mahomes now that her fellow WAG is publicly (and apparently happily) linked to Trump. Swift appeared to get his wish Thursday when he attended the Chiefs’ first game of the season; although she and Mahomes were both cheering on their partners in the VIP section, they were seated separately and were not seen interacting at all.

This was interpreted as an intentional move by Swift, whose inner circle was long regarded as a hallmark of her brand until her team era. Who Swift chooses to devote her precious little downtime to communicates a lot about her priorities — and, in this case, her politics.

Indeed, Swift has repeatedly used public appearances, paparazzi walks, and collaborations to signal her support for other women. Recent examples include Sophie Turner, who was photographed dining with Swift in New York shortly after news broke of her divorce from Joe Jonas (also an ex of Swift’s), and Ice Spice, who jumped on Swift’s “Karma” remix after Swift’s then-boyfriend Matty Healy called the rapper “stupid” on a podcast (among other offensive comments). Even after Swift and Healy broke up, Ice Spice remained in the picture, accompanying Swift in photos at football games and awards.

At Swift’s level of fame, a well-timed photo shoot or well-placed feature is just as valuable as a tweet or public statement — if not more so. This show-don’t-tell strategy has the added benefit of ambiguity, allowing Swift to form alliances without giving away any real information about her thought process.

Early in her career, Swift’s so-called “girl squad” was criticized for being performative and performative. But a lot has changed in a few years: Now, we’re in a pop culture landscape where signs of childhood are celebrated: “Barbie” can break box-office records, and the exchange of friendship bracelets at her shows Swift has become a tradition. . Suddenly, Swift’s female friendships were reevaluated as empowering, aspirational, and strategically savvy.

But no strategy is one-size-fits-all. Brittany Mahomes isn’t a beloved actor from one of the most popular TV shows in history like Sophie Turner, nor is she, as Dazed once described Ice Spice, “the new people’s pain-relieving princess.” In fact, when she befriended Swift last year, Mahomes was already reviled by many in Swift for standing up for her brother-in-law, Jackson Mahomes, after he was accused of sexual assault. (Swift herself was sexually assaulted in 2013 and even took her attacker to court, for which she was hailed by Time magazine as a “Silence Breaker”).

Now, in the midst of an important election year when dozens of Swifties have rallied behind Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, Swift’s willing association with Mahomes — along with her failure to denounce Trump’s candidacy — has sparked widespread backlash.

Swift chose to socialize with Mahomes after their breakup at the NFL season opener sparked rumors of a politically motivated feud. Given her reputation as a PR mastermind, this can’t be a coincidence. Their public reunion has already been framed in the media as “putting to rest rumors of friendship break-ups” and “dispelling witchcraft rumours”. The New York Post reported that there was “zero tension” between the two women. According to The Daily Mail, Swift and Mahomes have a “pact” to avoid discussing politics.

Swift may disagree with Mahomes behind closed doors. But that’s not enough for her liberal fans, who have been trained to see Swift’s public moves as a reflection of her private thoughts, feelings and beliefs. In the absence of official support for Harris, all he has to judge is an active association with a Trump supporter.

Following Trump’s 2016 election, Swift vowed to be more vocal about her politics. She has said she regrets not campaigning for Hillary Clinton and plans to endorse Joe Biden in 2020. She even released a documentary, “Miss Americana,” detailing the intimate moments that led to her awakening her politics. “I have to be on the right side of history,” she said in one scene, crying.

Today, many fans wonder where that passion has gone. Social media sites are flooded with posts calling Swift “thornless in my grave of silence” (a line from one of her own songs), imploring her publicist to “do something” and calling out the perceived hypocrisy of Swift in a post-“Miss Americana.” “landscape.

“This might be the worst and most widespread public backlash he’s had in years,” read one tweet, with more than 40,000 likes. “I hope they freak out about it.”

We’ll never know if it really is. But her following paparazzi photos might give us some clues.