Billboard issued an apology on Thursday for a video compilation featuring Taylor Swift that mistakenly included a clip from a Kanye West video showing a wax figure resembling the singer naked in bed with him.
“We deeply apologize to Taylor Swift, our readers, and viewers for including a clip in a video celebrating Swift’s achievements that inaccurately depicted her,” the magazine posted on social media on Thanksgiving morning. “We have removed the clip and regret the harm caused by this mistake.”
A community note on X concerning Billboard’s apology stated, “The clip in question was from Kanye West’s ‘Famous’ music video, featuring a nude wax figure of Taylor Swift among other celebrities, constituting revenge porn which is illegal in many U.S. states.”
Billboard apologized for falsely depicting Taylor Swift in a video montage. (Kate Green/Getty Images)
In Kanye West’s controversial “Famous” music video from 2016, he included a scene depicting himself in bed with various celebrities, including a nude wax figure of Taylor Swift, claiming credit for her fame.
“I made that b—- famous,” he raps in the song, also suggesting a sexual relationship with Swift.
Billboard featured a video montage of Taylor Swift’s career highlights on its Instagram page, naming her the second-greatest pop star of the 21st century. (Emma McIntyre/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
The tumultuous relationship between the two musicians dates back to 2009 when Kanye West infamously interrupted Taylor Swift’s MTV VMA acceptance speech.
The two musicians have had a fraught relationship for the last 15 years, since West interrupted the “Shake it Off” singer’s 2009 MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech to suggest that Beyoncé deserved the award more than her. (Christopher Polk/Getty Images)
After labeling Taylor Swift as the second-greatest pop star of the 21st century and sharing a video tribute on Instagram, Billboard faced criticism from commenters urging a public apology to Swift, followed by the magazine’s acknowledgment on the same post.
A representative for Taylor Swift did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
