How Karlie Kloss And Taylor Swift's Friendship Fell Apart
Despite having a long list of famous friends, Taylor Swift's friendship with Karlie Kloss stood out — that is until it all fell apart. The pair's friendship dates back to 2012 when Swift fangirled about her admiration for Kloss during an interview with Vogue. "I love Karlie Kloss. I want to bake cookies with her!" Swift gushed to the outlet. Responding to the singer's comments, Kloss took to Twitter, writing: "Hey @taylorswift13 love the @voguemagazine cover! Your kitchen or mine?." While there was no baking in the kitchen, Swift and Kloss eventually met for the first time at the 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. And the rest, as they say, is history!
In the years that followed, Swift and Kloss's friendship flourished, with the pair often publicly gushing about their beautiful friendship. "Taylor and I are really close, but we also have very different jobs in very different industries. We also are twentysomething-year-old women working very hard and very focused to pursue our dreams and goals, and I think we both are very supportive of one another," Kloss said of her friendship with the singer during a 2015 appearance on "Good Morning America."
When they were not gushing about each other in interviews, Kloss and Swift paid the sweetest tribute to each other on special milestones. "Happiest of Birthdays to my ride or die @taylorswift," Kloss wrote in an Instagram post in honor of the singer's 27th birthday. "I feel blessed to count you as my friend, sister, and partner in crime." So, how did it all come crashing down?
Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss first sparked fallout rumors in 2016
Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss first sparked speculation of a friendship fallout in 2016 after the model described Kim Kardashian as "a lovely person." At the time, Swift was in the heat of a feud with the reality star and her then-husband Kanye West. "I think she's been a lovely person to me in the past. Look, I really don't know her that well," Kloss said in an interview with The Times. Because she did not directly defend Swift, fans believed Kloss's comment hinted at a falling out between the two. However, the model issued a rebuttal, taking to social media to reaffirm her loyalty to Swift. "I will not allow the media to misconstrue my words. Taylor has always had my back and I will always have hers," Kloss wrote on Twitter. But while all seemed to be well with the two friends in the months that followed, fans once again soon started peddling rumors of an alleged rift.
In August 2017, Swift released the video to her song "Look What You Made Me Do," which featured the names of her famous squad, including Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid, and Blake Lively on a t-shirt. With Kloss's name conveniently left out, many took it as a sign that there was trouble between the two. Seemingly sealing the deal for fans was Kloss's rather simple happy birthday post to Swift in December of that year — a far cry from the swoon-worthy tributes from previous years.
Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss have not been spotted together since 2018
In the earliest days of their friendship, Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss were inseparable. When they were not grabbing lunch, the famous BFFs graced red carpets, and enjoyed mundane things like running errands together. However, amid speculation of an alleged rift, the pair stopped hanging out as much. Per Insider, Swift and Kloss were last photographed together in public in 2018 when the model attended the "Reputation" concert in Nashville. But despite attempts at repelling these rumors through the years, fans were convinced that Swift and Kloss are not as friendly as they used to be — and all for good reasons.
For instance, when Kloss married her husband, Joshua Kushner, in October 2018, Swift was noticeably absent despite receiving an invitation. The "Bad Blood" singer was also absent from Kloss' second wedding ceremony with Kushner in June 2019. But it was perhaps due to knowing that Katy Perry and Scooter Braun, both of whom she had reportedly been feuding with for years, were attending the ceremony, according to Insider. Oops! Though Kloss denied falling out with the singer, sources close to the pair confirmed that there was, in fact, trouble between the two."Taylor got upset over something crazy and then she just alienated Karlie," an insider told Page Six.
Taylor Swift addressed the alleged fallout in her songs
In December 2020, Taylor Swift released "Evermore," her ninth studio album featuring 15 tracks, including "It's Time to Go," which fans took as a dig at her friendship with Karlie Kloss. "When the words of a sister come back in whispers / That prove she was not in fact what she seemed" / Not a twin from your dreams / She's a crook who was caught," Swift sang, per Genius. Given that Kloss had previously referred to Swift as her sister, fans concluded the lyrics were about the model. On another track, "Right Where You Left Me," Swift allegedly took another aim at Kloss when she sings, "Friends break up, friends get married," seemingly referencing the model's marriage to Joshua Kushner.
Seemingly responding to the rumor mills, Swift took to social media shortly after the album's release, explaining the intended meaning of the two songs. While she explained that "Right Where You Left Me" highlights the aftermath of a breakup, the singer added that "It's Time to Go" explores the concept of letting go. "'It's time to go' is about listening to your gut when it tells you to leave. How you always know before you know, you know?" she wrote on Instagram. This did little to deter fans from theorizing about the pair's friendship.
But while the rumored bad blood between Swift and Kloss might have lasted many years, the celebrity duo is reportedly on the way to mending their relationship. "They're like sisters," a source told Life & Style in August 2023. "And sometimes sisters fight, but they've let it go and are closer than ever now."