Billboard magazine issued an apology on Thursday for including a clip from Kanye West’s “Famous” music video in a video celebrating Taylor Swift’s achievements. The clip, which depicts a naked wax figure of Swift, was previously described by the singer as “revenge porn.”
“We are deeply sorry to Taylor Swift and all of our readers and viewers that in a video celebrating Swift’s achievements, we included a clip that falsely depicted her,”1 Billboard wrote on social media. “We have removed the clip from our video and sincerely regret the harm we caused with this error.”
The clip was included in a video titled “Taylor Swift’s Biggest Career Achievements.” The video has since been removed from Billboard’s social media accounts.
Swift has previously spoken out against the “Famous” music video, calling it “sickening” and “disgusting.” She has also said that she believes the video was created to humiliate her.
Billboard’s apology comes after a backlash from fans and critics who accused the magazine of being insensitive to Swift’s feelings. Some have also called for the magazine to apologize to Swift directly.
This is not the first time that Billboard has been criticized for its coverage of Swift. In 2019, the magazine published an article that was critical of Swift’s decision to re-record her music. The article was later removed from the website.
Billboard’s apology is a step in the right direction, but it remains to be seen whether the magazine will be able to repair its relationship with Swift and her fans.