Billboard magazine extends its heartfelt apologies to Taylor Swift following an effort to honor her.
A prominent music magazine has unveiled its ranking of the greatest pop stars of the 21st century, placing the 34-year-old singer/songwriter at an impressive No. 2 on their list.
Billboard compiled a video showcasing Swift’s remarkable achievements, featuring a clip from Kanye West’s music video for the track “Famous.” The scene showcases a wax figure of a nude Swift alongside the bold statement, “I made that [expletive] famous.”
The line sparked a significant controversy in 2016 involving Swift, West, and his former wife Kim Kardashian, as Swift contested the claim that she had approved West’s use of that line concerning her.
Kardashian unveiled a video that she claimed captured a conversation between Swift and West, substantiating the rapper’s assertion.
Subsequently, another recording circulated on social media, claiming to be the complete phone conversation between Swift and Kanye West, seemingly validating Swift’s account of the events.
Billboard encountered immediate criticism for featuring the “Famous” video clip, prompting the publication to issue an apology on social media.
“We sincerely apologize to Taylor Swift and all our readers and viewers for including a clip in a video celebrating Swift’s achievements that inaccurately portrayed her,” the statement reads. “We have taken down the clip from our video and deeply apologize for the harm caused by this mistake.”