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16 Sep 2024

Hillary Clinton Praises Taylor Swift’s Kamala Harris Endorsement, Slams Elon Musk’s ‘Creepy’ Response

At a time when Taylor Swift is facing backlash from Donald Trump, Elon Musk and more MAGA supporters, Hillary Clinton is throwing her support behind the pop star.

While discussing the 2024 presidential election on Kara Swisher’s podcast, the former secretary of state opened up about why she thinks Swift’s recent endorsement of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris was essential — even if it did lead Trump to post “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” on Truth Social shortly afterward. “That sends a strong message,” Clinton said. “I’m a huge admirer. I think this has real impact.”

“Her fanbase is so intense and incredibly influenced by her,” she continued before bringing up Swift’s successful sexual assault lawsuit against radio DJ David Mueller in 2017 and her feud with Scooter Braun over the 2019 sale of her masters. “She’s a singer who charts the course of her life — which they relate to as their own lives — but she’s also somebody who stood up to a guy who groped her. She stood up to get her music back from someone she thought had illegitimately taken it from her.”

Clinton’s remarks come just days after Swift finally broke her silence on the 2024 election with an Instagram post backing Harris on Sept. 10, just moments after the presidential debate concluded. In addition to praising the VP for being a “steady-handed, gifted leader” in a long letter to fans, the 14-time Grammy winner also called out the Trump campaign for posting AI-generated images falsely painting her as a MAGA supporter.

Since then, the Republican nominee has suggested that Swift will “pay a price” in the “marketplace” for siding against him, in addition to declaring his “hate” for her. Musk, an avid Trump supporter, also issued a response to her endorsement, joking on X: “Fine Taylor, you win … I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life.”

Calling the Tesla founder’s words “rotten and creepy,” Clinton theorized why Swift might’ve struck a chord with right-wing conservatives. “The fact that [Swift’s endorsement] happened right after the debate and just added to Kamala’s momentum must have just set them all off,” she told Swisher. “They gravitate toward toughness and brutality and machoism. And here’s Taylor Swift, a self-made billionaire who brings joy to people and who imparts life lessons, particularly to girls and women. They can’t stand it.

“I can’t understand why [Musk] says what he says,” Clinton added of the tech billionaire, calling his tweet to Swift “another way of saying rape.” “It just is beyond my imagination.”

Listen to Clinton talk about Swift’s endorsement below.

16 Sep 2024

‘I Hate Taylor Swift’: Everything Donald Trump Has Ever Said About the Pop Star

The politician has praised the singer’s looks & disparaged her political views.

Donald Trump

Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Expo World Market Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 13, 2024.

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

From the moment Taylor Swift first spoke publicly about politics in 2018, the pop star has stood in opposition to Donald Trump — and the 45th president of the United States hasn’t kept quiet when it comes to her either.

Over the course of her evolution as a political advocate, Swift has done everything from call out Trump’s right-wing policies and incendiary language to urge her hundreds of millions of fans to vote against him in elections, with the “Blank Space” singer-songwriter more than once expressing regret over not doing more to prevent the politician from making it to the White House in 2016. Four years later, she promised Trump that the American people “will vote you out in November” after the then-president — whom she described as “stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism” — condemned the Black Lives Matter protests over George Floyd’s death.

As it turned out, Swift was right: Trump lost his re-election bid in 2020 to Joe Biden, who would initially run again in 2024 before dropping out of the race and passing the baton to his VP Kamala Harris. Through it all, the 14-time Grammy winner has remained steadfast in her resistance to Trump. Trump’s opinions on the musician, however, have been far less consistent, with the former president earning a reputation for praising Swift’s “unusually beautiful looks” one day and declaring his outright hatred of her the next.

From the pair’s early interactions long before either of them were politically involved to the heated criticisms they’ve lobbed at one another since, Swift and Trump go way back. Keep reading to see a timeline of everything the businessman-turned-president has ever said about the pop star below.

16 Sep 2024

Donald Trump & JD Vance React to Taylor Swift Endorsing Kamala Harris | Billboard News

Donald Trump and JD Vance have spoken out about Taylor Swift endorsing Kamala Harris in the presidential race. Keep watching to see what the two have to say about her.

JD Vance:
We admire Taylor Swift’s music, but I don’t think most Americans, whether they like her music or fans of hers or not, are going to be influenced by a billionaire celebrity who I think is fundamentally disconnected from the interests and problems the problems of most Americans.

Tetris Kelly:
Looks like the GOP ticket for president and Taylor Swift have bad blood. Donald Trump went as far as to say “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” on Truth Social. This is a far cry from when he was sharing an AI-generated image that falsely claimed Taylor has endorsed Trump on the platform, saying, “I accept.”

But that was before the real Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris after the debate, posting, “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election.” She also addressed those fake endorsement pics, saying, “It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter.”

And while Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, thinks Americans won’t be swayed by Taylor’s opinion …

JD Vance:
When grocery prices go up 20%, it hurts most Americans. It doesn’t hurt Taylor Swift.

Tetris Kelly:
Her post did direct around 400,000 people to vote.gov, where eligible Americans can register to vote. 

16 Sep 2024

Lil Pump Blasts Taylor Swift for Endorsing Kamala Harris: ‘Clearly You Didn’t Do Ur Research’

Lil Pump is and lambasting Taylor Swift for her endorsement of Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. The “Gucci Gang” rapper took to X on Monday (Sept. 16), where he put the pop titan on blast for supporting Harris and questioned her intelligence.

“Taylor Swift, you have no clue why ur even voting for Kamala,” he began. “Maybe cuz ur a billionaire and voting for her has 0 impact on ur life. You said do ur research, clearly you didn’t do ur research. Right after the debate u endorsed her lol Right after she lied many many times!”

Billboard has reached out to Swift’s rep for comment about Lil Pump’s tweets.

As part of his X rant, he also shared a fake comment from Taylor Swift that seemingly called Pump out and unleashing Swifties on him. Numerous users on X pointed out to the rapper that the tweet he purported to be from the superstar was not real.

“Stop acting like ur so innocent YOU ARE PUSHING PPL TO VOTE FOR KAMALA! Inflation through the roof and ppl are struggling to pay bills They def won’t be able to afford tix to ur shows,” he continued. “She said she will make changes right away, WHY DIDNT SHE THE PAST 3.5 years?”

In one particularly vulgar tweet, the Florida rapper questionably guaranteed he’ll be hitting the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage before T-Swift, and again pledged his allegiance to Donald Trump. “… vote 4 trump and never look back fam also i bet i perform at the superbowl before her cringe a–,” he spewed in part.

While his music hasn’t been able to cut through on the Billboard charts, Pump has pivoted to put his energy into advocating for Trump in his journey for a return to the Oval Office. The 24-year-old even declared that he’s leaving the United States if Harris wins the 2024 election.

“I swear on my dad’s grave, if this stupid-a– bi— Kamala Harris wins the f—ing election, I’m moving out of America, boy,” he said on Instagram Stories in early August. “I swear on everything.”

Even though Swift hasn’t name-dropped Donald Trump, the twice-impeached former president lashed out at the pop star. “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” the business mogul — who in May was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records — wrote in all caps on Truth Social on Sunday (Sept. 15).

Following Sept. 10’s presidential debate, Swift made a political splash when endorsing Kamala Harris.She hailed the candidate as a “warrior” and a “steady-handed, gifted leader.”

“Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most,” she wrote. “As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country.”

16 Sep 2024

Celebrities & Politicians Send Taylor Swift ‘Love’ After Donald Trump’s ‘Hate’ Message

Taylor Swift is being showered with love despite Donald Trump‘s hate.

The former president lashed out at the pop superstar on his Truth Social over the weekend following her recent endorsement of Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” Trump wrote in all caps.

Trump’s post comes just days after Swift took to social media to voice her support for the Harris campaign. Swift expressed her admiration for Harris, calling her a “steady-handed, gifted leader” and a “warrior” for causes including LGBTQ+ rights and women’s reproductive freedoms. She also called out Trump posting fake AI images that had falsely suggested she supported him.

“It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” she said about the doctored images. “It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.”

Swift signed her Instagram post as “Childless Cat Lady,” aimed at Trump’s VP candidate JD Vance, who used that description to demean Democratic leaders without children. Swift’s endorsement post of the Democratic candidates brought around 400,000 people to the Vote.gov registration website in the following days.

Following Trump’s message of hate, a number of celebrities and politicians alike took to social media to note how much they “love” Taylor Swift, and #ILoveTaylorSwift was trending on X within hours. Some public figures that came forward in support of the “Cruel Summer” singer include “King Swiftie” Flavor Flav, actor Mark Hamill, author Stephen King, actress Mia Farrow and former Republican House Representative Liz Cheney.

Most surprisingly, Scooter Braun took to his Instagram Stories to clap back at Trump’s message. “Shake it off Donald. Kamala 2024,” he wrote, in reference to Swift’s 1989 hit, “Shake It Off.” Braun has a history of “Bad Blood” with Swift, as he acquired Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Records Label Group and Swift’s catalog for $300 million in 2019. Braun later sold Swift’s masters in 2020, prompting Swift to begin the process of re-recording her first six Big Machine albums.

See below for celebrity reactions to Donald Trump’s message to Taylor Swift.

16 Sep 2024

Scooter Braun Responds to Donald Trump’s ‘I Hate Taylor Swift’ Post With One of Her Lyrics

Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun are on opposite ends of one of the music industry’s biggest feuds — but when it comes to the 2024 presidential election, both of them are on the same side.

The SB Projects founder made that much clear when he responded to Donald Trump’s viral “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT” post — which the politician declared on Truth Social Sunday (Sept. 15) — via Instagram Stories. Resharing Trump’s post about the pop star, Braun wrote, “Shake it off Donald,” referencing Swift’s Billboard Hot 100-topping 1989 lead single.

“Kamala 2024,” the music entrepreneur added.

Billboard has reached out to Swift’s rep for comment.

Braun’s post comes five days after Swift shared her endorsement of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, which was the catalyst behind Trump touting his dislike for the 14-time Grammy winner over the weekend. In a lengthy message on Instagram Sept. 10 that was posted right as the presidential debate ended, Swift wrote that she believes Harris is a “steady-handed, gifted leader” and called out the twice-impeached ex-POTUS for sharing AI-generated images falsely portraying the “Karma” artist as a MAGA supporter.

Between then and now, Trump has said that he “was not a Taylor Swift fan” and suggested that she would “pay a price … in the marketplace” for endorsing Harris. He’s also started selling T-shirts directly imitating Swift’s Eras Tour merch on his campaign website.

Trump’s VP pick, JD Vance, has also weighed in. “I don’t think most Americans — whether they like her music, are fans of hers or not — are going to be influenced by a billionaire celebrity, who I think is fundamentally disconnected from the interests and problems of most Americans,” he said of the pop star on Fox News’ The Story Sept. 11, after which Harris’ campaign pointed out the irony of Trump also being a billionaire celebrity before crossing over into politics in 2016.

Braun’s post also marks the third time in recent weeks that he’s spotlighted Swift on his Story, turning the heads of many fans who haven’t forgotten his bitter conflict with the superstar over the sale of her masters in 2019. In August, he not only reshared a TMZ article about the “Anti-Hero” singer’s beachside getaway with Travis Kelce and Blake Lively — “How was I not invited to this?!? #laughalittle,” he wrote at the time — but the mogul also told followers that he had “finally watched” Max’s Taylor Swift vs Scooter Braun: Bad Blood.

“You’d think after his previous posts about her he’d learn by now,” an industry source told Billboard at the time. “It’s like he’s obsessed.”

16 Sep 2024

Shakira Leaves Stage at Miami Club After Noticing Fan Filming Up Her Skirt

Shakira hopped up on stage at the LIV Miami nightclub over the weekend to celebrate her new single, “Soltera.” But according to fan video of the impromptu moment, after swiveling her hips in classic style for a few minutes, the singer stopped dancing when she appeared to notice someone in the crowd attempting to film up her skirt.

In the video, Shakira can be seen smiling and dancing on a stage as her fans scream during the preview of the song whose released date has not yet been announced. In the clip, the superstar can clearly be seen gathering up her short skirt at several points and waving the index fingers on both hands as she looks down at an unseen person off screen with a gesture indicating that they should stop what they’re doing. At one point Shakira gestures to her eye as if to say “I see you” and then swiftly grabs at the front and back of her skirt to block any view.

Trending on Billboard

The music continues to blast out of the speakers and Shakira, seemingly frustrated, puts her hands on her hips and busts out a few more moves before once more tugging down at her hem, shaking her head and walking off stage.

At press time a spokesperson for Shakira had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on the incident and it did not appear as if the singer had addressed it on her socials.

In July, Shakira made her Copa America debut during the final match’s halftime on July 14 in the midst of the Argentina vs. Colombia game. The Colombian singer rocked Hard Rock Stadium with a medley of old and new hits including “Hips Don’t Lie,” “Te Felicito,” “TQG” and Puntería,” among other songs. The singer is slated to kick off the North American leg of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran world tour on Nov. 2 with a show at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, CA.

14 Sep 2024

Tommy Cash, Country Singer & Johnny Cash’s Brother, Dies at 84

Tommy Cash, a country singer and the younger brother of Johnny Cash, has died. He was 84.

The news of Tommy’s passing was confirmed on Saturday (Sept. 14) in a social media post by the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville.

“We are saddened to announce that the world lost a bright light last evening with the passing of Tommy Cash,” reads a statement on Instagram from Icon Entertainment CEO Bill Miller, who founded the museum.

A cause of death was not provided at press time.

Tommy died on Friday, just one day after the 21st anniversary of late country music icon Jonny Cash, who passed away on Sept. 12, 2003, from complications of diabetes.

“Tommy Cash was a loyal supporter of the Johnny Cash Museum and a very beloved member of our extended family as well as a highly respected member of the music industry,” Miller added. “This great man will be deeply missed by his friends and many loyal fans around the world. Please keep Tommy’s beloved wife, Marcy and his family in your prayers.”

Tommy was born in Dyess, Ark., on April 5, 1940. Following the artistic path of his older brother, Tommy enlisted in the U.S. Army and worked as a radio DJ for the Armed Forces, and later performed as a musician with Hank Williams Jr.‘s band.

Tommy’s solo music career began to take off after scoring his first record deal in 1965. Three years later, he released his debut album, Here’s Tommy Cash, and scored his first top 10 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs in 1970 with “Six White Horses,” a tribute to John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King. The track, which reached No. 4, was later covered by country great Waylon Jennings.

Tommy scored two more top 10 hits on Hot Country Songs in 1970 with “Rise and Shine” and “One Song Away.” He went on to perform as a musician over the decades, teaming up with his big brother Johnny on “Guess Things Happen That Way” in 1990.

“He performed around the world throughout his career, carrying on the Cash legacy long after his brother, Johnny Cash, passed in 2003,” Miller concluded in his statement.

See the Johnny Cash Museum’s announcement about Tommy Cash’s death on Instagram here.

13 Sep 2024

Diddy Wants Inmate’s $100M Abuse Judgment Overturned – Says He Was Never Served With Lawsuit

Sean “Diddy” Combs is seeking to overturn a $100 million sexual assault judgment won against him by a Michigan inmate earlier this week, claiming he was never served with the “frivolous” lawsuit.

In an emergency motion filed Thursday, attorneys for the embattled rapper said he had learned about Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith’s lawsuit and massive judgment from media coverage – and that the case would have been easily dismissed if Combs had been given a fair chance to respond.

“This is a frivolous lawsuit against a prominent businessman, based on obvious fabrications, filed by a convicted rapist and serial litigant with an overactive imagination and a thirst for fame,” Combs’ lawyers write.

The huge award, issued by a Michigan state judge on Monday, was what’s known as a default judgment — a kind of legal award granted when an accused party doesn’t respond to a legal action. Court records show that attorneys for Combs never participated in the case nor filed any kind of response.

But in Thursday’s filings, they say that’s because they were never been legally served with the allegations – a crucial first step in any American lawsuit: “Had Mr. Combs been notified in a timely manner of these outrageous claims, he would have defended himself, as he is prepared to do now. But he did not have that opportunity.”

At a hearing last month, the judge overseeing the case said Cardello-Smith had supplied sufficient proof that he properly served Combs via certified mail, which requires confirmation of receipt. But in Thursday’s response, Combs lawyers say that the letter was not sent to the rapper’s primary residence and it had not actually been signed by him personally.

“Accordingly, the default judgment must be set aside,” lawyers for Diddy write.

Once one of the most powerful men in the music industry, Diddy has been hit with at least eight civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse over the past year, including claims by ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura that were later followed by a video showing him assaulting her. The hip-hop mogul is also facing an apparent federal criminal investigation after authorities raided his homes in March.

Cardello-Smith sued Combs in June, claiming the rapper had spiked his drink and sexually assaulted him at a party in 1997. But in Thursday’s filings, the rapper’s lawyers said the inmate’s allegations are “objectively unbelievable” and that “no lawsuit could be more frivolous.”

“Plaintiff alleges that he was sexually assaulted in 1997, but he cannot keep his story straight as to where this supposedly occurred,” Combs lawyers write. “Aside from the purported assault, plaintiff alleges a fantastical conspiracy between Mr. Combs … and numerous high-ranking Wayne County judicial and law enforcement officials.”

As attorneys for Diddy repeatedly pointed out in their filings, Cardello-Smith, 51, is serving multiple, decades-long sentences for a variety of crimes, including first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of kidnapping. The earliest he can be released from prison is 2036.

The lawsuit against Combs is not the first civil action Cardello-Smith has filed from behind bars. Last year, he sued a Detroit-area Catholic archdiocese, alleging he had been sexually abused by a priest and others between 1979 and 1993. The case was dismissed last month by state appeals court, which ruled that Cardello-Smith’s allegations were barred by the statute of limitations.

In their response Thursday, lawyers for Diddy said that same defense would also apply to the current lawsuit: “As ridiculous as the allegations are, if every word of the complaint were true, the action would still be completely nonviable because the statute of limitation on the claims asserted expired almost 17 years before the case was filed.”

13 Sep 2024

John Legend Slams Donald Trump’s ‘Hateful’ Claim That Haitian Immigrants Eat Pets in His Hometown

John Legend has long been open about his political views, as well as his opposition to Donald Trump. But after the presidential debate on Sept. 10 — during which the Republican candidate regurgitated rumors that Haitian immigrants are eating people’s pets in Springfield, Ohio — it got personal for the EGOT winner.

In a video posted to his Instagram account Thursday (Sept. 12), two days after Trump’s first debate with Kamala Harris, Legend — who is from Springfield — shared his thoughts on the easily debunked claims about his hometown’s immigrant community. “Springfield has had a large influx of Haitian immigrants who’ve come to our city,” he explained. “Now, our city had been shrinking for decades. We didn’t have enough jobs, we didn’t have enough opportunities.”

“Of late, during the Biden administration, there’ve been more jobs that opened up — more manufacturing jobs, more plants, factories — that needed employees and were ready to hire people,” the “All of Me” singer continued. “During the same time, there had been upheaval and turmoil in Haiti. Our demand in Springfield for additional labor met up with the supply of additional Haitian immigrants.”

After outlining how the federal government assisted the Haitian population in legally moving to the United States, Legend compared the situation to other international communities — Polish, Irish, Italian, German, Jewish and Jamaican, to name a few — who’ve also immigrated over the years in pursuit of the American dream. “All of us need to have the same kind of grace that we would want for our ancestors,” he said into the camera.

“Nobody’s eating cats,” he added. “Nobody’s eating dogs. We all just want to live and flourish and raise our families in a healthy, safe environment. Don’t spread hateful, xenophobic, racist lies about them.”

The post comes as Springfield finds itself thrust into the center of the 2024 presidential race thanks to the false pet-eating rumor, which started with a post in a local Facebook group that alleged a neighbor’s daughter’s friend had found their missing cat hanging from a branch at a Haitian neighbor’s home. With anti-immigration sentiment being a core tenet of Trump’s platform, his campaign was quick to use the rumors as fuel for his third White House bid, as conservative outlets spread the false story online.

“There have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community,” a spokesperson for Springfield recently told CNN, while Mayor Rob Rue said Thursday that the hoax is “hurting our citizens and hurting our community.”

The Springfield controversy is just the latest topic Legend has spoken about amid the 2024 presidential race, with the musician being one of the earliest and most outspoken supporters of President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris’ campaigns this year. In a recent interview with BBC Newsnight, for instance, he opened up about the importance of reproductive healthcare — another hot-button issue in this year’s race — and detailed how it played a crucial role in his family in 2020.

“We were losing a pregnancy we wanted, a baby we wanted — we were losing him,” Legend recalled of Chrissy Teigen’s pregnancy loss four years prior. “We had to have abortion care to resolve that, to make sure that Chrissy didn’t die. She was bleeding profusely, and her life needed to be saved. We had to have abortion care to do that.”

Watch Legend call for peace in Springfield, Ohio, and share his thoughts on healthcare for women below.