Episode 326: Taylor Swift: The Crimes, Claims, and Controversies - Part 2

She was on top of the world with hit songs and record-breaking albums, but soon she found herself embroiled in a battle for the very art that catapulted her to stardom. The fight prepared her for the next era: marked by legal claims, stalkers, deepfakes, foiled terror attempts, and more. Throughout it all, she managed to shake it off. This week’s episode is Taylor Swift: The Crimes, Claims, and Controversies - Part 2.

SOURCES:

Taylor Swift “Shake It Off” Copyright Suit Settles Before Trial, Hollywood Reporter: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/taylor-swift-shake-it-off-copyright-suit-settles-before-trial-1235280645/

Bodysuit Evidence in 2022 Copyright Appeal, X: https://x.com/tmlovesred2/status/1851297294110576643

Taylor Swift, Live at the American Music Awards (2019): https://youtu.be/SVY8I46dkb0

Taylor Swift tour: Excruciating to watch Ticketmaster ticket chaos, says pop star, BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-63679936

Taylor Swift Says Canceling Eras Tour Shows in Vienna Due to Terrorist Plot Was ‘Devastating’ and ‘Filled Me With a New Sense of Fear’, Variety: https://variety.com/2024/music/news/taylor-swift-canceled-eras-tour-shows-vienna-devastating-filled-with-fear-1236099504/

Taylor Swift and Evermore Park Drop Lawsuits Against One Another, With No Money Exchanged, Variety: https://variety.com/2021/music/news/taylor-swift-evermore-park-lawsuits-drop-utah-theme-park-trademark-1234937782/

Scooter Braun sells Taylor Swift masters for $300m+ to investment fund (report), Music Business Worldwide: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/scooter-braun-sells-taylor-swift-masters-for-300m-to-investment-fund-report/

Shamrock, the investment firm that bought Taylor Swift’s masters, sells minority stake, Music Business Worldwide: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/shamrock-the-investment-firm-that-bought-taylor-swifts-masters-sells-minority-stake123/

Kelly Clarkson Tweet (2019), X: https://x.com/kellyclarkson/status/1150168164853882880

Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun’s Drama, Explained, https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a29807801/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-scott-borchetta-tyrannical-control-amas-netflix-doc/

Taylor Swift’s NYC stalker in disbelief as he’s finally behind bars — for now — after latest arrest outside her apartment, NY Post: https://nypost.com/2024/01/25/metro/david-crowe-taylor-swifts-nyc-stalker-remanded-after-latest-arrest/

Taylor Swift stalker arrested at concert after making Travis Kelce threats, NY Post: https://nypost.com/2024/07/19/sports/taylor-swift-stalker-arrested-at-concert-after-making-travis-kelce-threats/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Tell Congress to pass The DEFIANCE Act, SVPA: https://s-v-p-a.org/defiance/

Mysterious Mastermind: Conspiracy Theories and Taylor Swift, Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2024/08/mysterious-mastermind-conspiracy-theories-and-taylor-swift/

Reliving the Taylor Swift catalog sale saga (and following the money…), Music Business Worldwide: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/taylor-swift-catalog-sale-following-the-money/

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Boosted the Economy by $4.6 Billion. Now Here Comes Her Movie, Inc.: https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/taylor-swifts-eras-tour-boosted-economy-by-46-billion-now-here-comes-her-movie.html

Taylor Swift uses music muscle to seek higher payouts for others, CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/swift-universal-deal-spotify-1.4913279

Taylor & Kanye's full phone call discussing "Famous" has been leaked, Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TaylorSwift/comments/fm7p8u/taylor_kanyes_full_phone_call_discussing_famous/

Taylor Swift and Kanye West’s 2016 Phone Call Leaks: Read the Full Transcript, Variety: https://variety.com/2020/music/news/taylor-swift-kanye-west-phone-call-leaks-read-full-transcript-1203541363/

Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian and Ye feud timeline: VMAs to 'The Tortured Poets Department', USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2024/04/19/taylor-swift-kim-kardashian-kanye-west-feud-timeline/73384172007/

Taylor Swift gifted Eras Tour performers, crew an extra $197M in bonuses in addition to their salaries, Page Six: https://pagesix.com/2024/12/09/entertainment/taylor-swift-gave-eras-tour-performers-crew-extra-197m-in-bonuses/

Taylor Swift gives Eras Tour crew member ‘well-deserved’ $100K bonus with sweet handwritten note, Page Six: https://pagesix.com/2025/01/13/entertainment/taylor-swift-gives-eras-tour-crew-member-100k-bonus-with-handwritten-note/

Taylor Swift - All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Live on Saturday Night Live): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJr_8l0AEWE

Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of 2021: No. 1 — Taylor Swift, Billboard: https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-greatest-pop-star-2021-1235011392/

Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta: What the Hell Happened?, Rolling Stone: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-scott-borchetta-explainer-853424/

Taylor Swift Breaks Silence on Leaked Kanye West Video, Asks Fans to Focus on 'What Really Matters', People: https://people.com/music/taylor-swift-breaks-silence-kanye-west-leaked-video/

Taylor Swift's Tumblr Post RE: Masters Sale, June 2019: https://taylorswift.tumblr.com/post/185958366550/for-years-i-asked-pleaded-for-a-chance-to-own-my

Kanye West’s ‘Famous’ Video Is Now an Art Exhibit, The Wrap: https://www.thewrap.com/kanye-wests-famous-video-is-now-an-art-exhibit/

Did Taylor Swift create a new era for food bank donations?, AP: https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-eras-tour-food-banks-79f5aeedc6ce16f91517a3d00af55a7f

Taylor Swift gives ‘life-changing’ $100,000 bonuses to Eras Tour truck drivers, CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/02/business/taylor-swift-100000-life-changing-bonus-truck-crew/index.html

Food bank says Taylor Swift made massive donation during Eras Tour stop: ‘Magic happens’, KBTX: https://www.kbtx.com/2024/10/30/food-bank-says-taylor-swift-made-massive-donation-during-eras-tour-stop-magic-happens/

Teen boys use AI to make fake nudes of classmates, sparking police probe, ArsTechnica: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/11/deepfake-nudes-of-high-schoolers-spark-police-probe-in-nj/

Thousands of realistic but fake AI child s-x images found online, report says, ArsTechnica: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/06/thousands-of-realistic-but-fake-ai-child-sex-images-found-online-report-says/

Family of Taylor Swift Fan Who Died Before Rio Concert Attends Singer’s Final Brazil Show, People: https://people.com/family-of-taylor-swift-fan-who-died-before-her-concert-attends-show-8406702

Taylor Swift ensures UMG artists will profit from Spotify shares, Engadget: https://www.engadget.com/2018-11-20-taylor-swift-umg-artists-profit-spotify-shares.html