Everything We Know About Taylor Swift's Squad
Ever since her "Bad Blood" video debuted in 2015, there's been a lot of buzz about who exactly is in Taylor Swift's squad. The video featured several high-profile celebrities like Zendaya, Selena Gomez, and Karlie Kloss as sexy superheroes taking vengeance on their enemies. While many of the A-listers in the film continue to be on Swift's A-team, others have fallen by the wayside more or less. Zendaya reportedly wasn't on speaking terms with Tay after siding with Kimye amidst their beef, and Karlie Kloss was pretty much ex-communicated from the girl group (but we'll get to that in a bit).
As of late, Swift has seemingly added quite a few members to her growing clique. From Victoria's Secret models, actors, and maybe even Travis Kelce's mother, the list is growing for the pack of women who consider themselves Swifties. But we've got to ask — what exactly does it entail to be a part of this exclusive girl squad? For Swift, she says the group may be a way to make up for being far from the popular girl at recess. In the prologue to her album "1989 (Taylor's Version)," the Grammy award-winning artist admitted via Billboard: "You, who knew that maybe a girl who surrounds herself with female friends in adulthood is making up for a lack of them in childhood (not starting a tyrannical hot girl cult)."
Cult or not, we're breaking down who's in (and who's been kicked out) of the infamous group of women making up Taylor Swift's squad.
Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez's incredible bond
It doesn't take a superfan to know that Selena Gomez is the OG member of the Taylor Swift Squad. Their friendship has spanned over 14 years, from cozily sitting next to each other at awards shows, taking the stage together at packed arenas, to defending each other in the press. Gomez revealed during an interview with KIIS FM UK that out of all things that could've brought the pair together — it was their mutual love for the Jonas Brothers that sanctified their meeting (at the time, Gomez was dating Nick while Swift was dating Joe).
But the pair meeting as their careers had just begun to take off was one of the reasons their friendship overcame Hollywood hurdles. In an interview with E! News the "Red Singer" explained why their relationship has outlasted the test of time. "When your life changes and you become thrust into this really strange whirlwind where what your life is is different from what other people think your life is. And your life is commented on and your life is written about and fictionalized and all that. Both of us have kind of stuck it out and hung in there through all the different changes we've gone through," she admitted.
Gomez was also quick to defend her bestie amidst the drama between Swift, Kim Kardashian, and Kanye West over the rapper's "I made that b*tch famous" song lyric. "Why can't people use their voice for something that f**king matters?" she tweeted amidst the drama, seemingly in support of her BFF.
Karlie Kloss was in the squad... until she wasn't
Karlie Kloss went from starring alongside Taylor Swift in her "Bad Blood" music video to being the one that Swift had bad blood against. The Victoria's Secret model was once seen glowing in the VIP tent at the singer's shows and she's since been docked to general admission, so what exactly could've led to their rift?
Their friendship started out sweet — literally — as the singer shouted out the model in 2012 in a Vogue interview, writing "I love Karlie Kloss. I want to bake cookies with her!" So did Kloss, apparently, as she tweeted back to Swift, taking her up on the invite. The two had an instant connection, from walking the VS Fashion Show runway together, taking road trips, to attending the Met Gala, it seemed like nothing could come between the tall blondies.
Whisperings of a falling out began in 2018, however, when the model seemingly made reference to Swift's former frenemy Katy Perry's lyric on Instagram. Kloss denied any beef between the pair in multiple interviews, admitting they were still close. While Swift never publicly addressed the situation, she wasn't seen at Kloss's two wedding ceremonies to her husband Joshua Kushner in 2019. Many fans believe her absence could be due to the model's close relationship with the singer's mortal enemy Scooter Braun.
The nail in the coffin had to be Kloss attending her former friend's "Eras" tour without VIP status. Viewers caught the model enjoying the show in general admission, which is certainly not Swift Squad behavior.
What artists are in Taylor Swift's squad?
Taylor Swift's squad may not be limited to just the women that graced her "Bad Blood" music video. The singer has forged friendships with other A-list artists, including Lorde, Haim, and Ed Sheeran. Swift's connection with Sheeran began in 2012 when the pair collaborated on her track "Everything Has Changed." The "Blank Space" singer returned the favor for Sheeran a decade later when she lent her voice to his track "The Joker And the Queen." The Englishman got candid about their bond in an interview with Rolling Stone, admitting that "She would be there if everything ended for me."
Lorde also appears to be a part of Swift's girl gang, as the two have been friends since 2014. Lorde even joined the "Folklore" singer onstage during her 1989 world tour as the two performed a remix to her track "Royals" in 2015. The "Homemade Dynamite" singer also posted a screenshot of a text from Swift following the drop of her "Melodrama" album in which she raved over the record. "Taylor was very kind and not wrong," she wrote on her Instagram Story (per PageSix).
The HAIM sisters are also reportedly in the Swift Squad after the "Love Story" singer forged a friendship with the Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim after they collaborated on her murder-mystery track "No Body, No Crime." She told Entertainment Weekly: "I'm the fourth Haim sister now, confirmed," adding, "We can't figure out why we hadn't collaborated sooner ... but it took a song about avenging your friend's murder to give us the idea to take this step."
Several Victorias Secret models are 'squad' members
It's no secret that Taylor Swift has a fair share of former Victoria's Secret Angels that make up her squad. So much so that she may need her own pair of honorary feather wings. While she may be on the outs with Karlie Kloss, she is good friends with former VS Angel Lily Aldridge, and the two even shared a day at Disneyland together alongside the model's son. The pair connected at first over music, after the singer attended Aldridge's husband and Kings of Leons band member Caleb Followill's concert. "Taylor is amazing. She's such a good friend. We both live in Nashville. She came to one of my husband's concerts, and we found out we were neighbors, and then we became friends," Aldridge told Huffington Post.
The "Mirrorball" singer is also close with former Victoria's Secret models Gigi and Bella Hadid. Gigi starred in the "Bad Blood" video years ago, telling W Magazine that "It was a big, amazing thing to be a part of." She went on to add that she and the members of Swift's girlfriends "want to be known for our kindness rather than our cattiness."
Cara Delevigne is also an OG squad member, first meeting Swift in 2013 and having a friendship with the star for over a decade. The VS model supported her friend in 2023 during her "Eras" tour stop in Arizona. The two were also seen partying together alongside Gigi several months later after both attending Jack Antonoff's wedding, per PageSix.
Blake Lively is a total Swiftie
Blake Lively and Taylor Swift first connected in 2015, after the actor shouted out the singer via Instagram. At the time, Lively posted a photo (via Entertainment Tonight) of L'Oréal's marketing photo for a lipstick collection featuring Julianne Moore, Naomi Watts, and John Legend. "Soooo, turns out this WASN'T a video shoot for John Legend's cover of Bad Blood," the "Gossip Girl" star wrote, cheekily adding "#AlsoTurnsOutJohnLegendIsntCoveringBadBlood Time to start a petition!"
While some fans took that as shade directed towards Swift, Lively admitted that couldn't be further from the truth. Shortly after she posted another Instagram photo highlighting her, her husband, and her niece rocking out at a 1989 tour stop. "Umm whoever thought I was throwin' shade clearly doesn't know I have a 'Taylor Swift Please Be My Wife Voo Doo Doll,'" she captioned the photo alongside the hashtag #obsessed.
The two have gone on to meet up in Australia and celebrate holidays together, and Swift has even formed a special bond with Lively and Ryan Reynolds' daughters. The singer featured the couple's oldest daughter James on her track "Gorgeous," leading to the cutest reaction from Reynolds and Lively when she performed it live. Lively was even in charge of Swift's music video for her track "I Bet You Think About Me," being the director for the clip off of the singer's re-released album "Red (Taylor's Version)." The actor later received her first CMA nomination for music video of the year for her skills directing the music video.
Emma Stone called Taylor Swift a 'wonderful friend'
Emma Stone and Taylor Swift's close friendship goes all the way back to 2008. After supporting each other at various movie premieres, galas, and shows over the years, Stone told Vanity Fair she couldn't be happier she got to see her bestie during her incredibly successful "Eras" tour. "I was lucky 'cause we've been friends for a really long time, she said. "I've known her since we were 17 and 18, so she hooked me up, which was very nice 'cause I know those tickets are impossible to get. She's a wonderful friend. She blows my mind."
Fans also believe that Swift's song "When Emma Falls In Love" from her album "Speak Now" is about Stone. At the time, the "La La Land" actor was dating Kieran Culkin. The singer has since admitted she wrote the song about one of her best friends. "She waits and takes her time, 'cause little miss sunshine always thinks it's gonna rain," Swift sings in the track. Some fans took this to be a reference to Stone dancing along to Natasha Bedingfield's "Pocketful Of Sunshine" in the film "Easy A."
Swift opened up about their friendship in an interview with Access Online, saying: "It's just so important to have people that you trust and Emma and Selena and I, we've had so many things in our lives that have changed over the last couple years, but our friendship has stayed the same. So that's really good," she explained, adding that she even seeks out the actor for career advice.
Taylor Swift was Lena Dunham's bridesmaid
Lena Dunham is an OG Swift Squad member, as the "Girls" producer was featured in Taylor Swift's infamous "Bad Blood" video. Dunham has been a big supporter of the singer's career, raving about her "Red" album on X, formerly Twitter, after the record's release in 2012. "Update: @taylorswift13's album is triumphant," she wrote. "If she'd been here when I was in college I would have written papers on her, not Sylvia Plath."
And what better way to solidify their friendship than to include Swift in her wedding? The "Teardrops On My Guitar" singer supported the producer as a bridesmaid when she Dunham tied the knot to her partner Luis Felber in London in 2021, per Vogue. The artist made the cut alongside eight of Dunham's closest friends and family members. "You can have a far bigger wedding with less bridesmaids, but I guess it just speaks to how excited I was to have my close friends there," the director said. "And, you know, my girlfriends have had to deal with a lot of not-so-happy things with me in our adulthood, so to be able to celebrate something joyful and use it as an excuse to be together was very special."
Mariska Hargitay, Ellen Pompeo, and Laura Dern have all starred in Taylor Swift's music videos
Lena Dunham isn't the only actor who made a cameo in Taylor Swift's music videos. The singer is a "Law & Order: SVU" fan, which is how her friendship with Mariska Hargitay was born. "I met her at the Met Gala, OK, and I was so uncool," Hargitay admitted on "Late Night with Seth Meyers." And she's down there, she's like, 'Hi, I like your show!' And I'm like, 'Oh thanks!' And I didn't know that she was like the second coming, right?" The actor appeared in the "Bad Blood" music video, and she also revealed Swift named her cat after her "SVU" character.
Swift is also a big fan of "Grey's Anatomy," which led to her connection with the series' former leading lady Ellen Pompeo. The actor also starred in the singer's "Bad Blood" video, even previously opening the door for her to guest star on the show. "I think she's pretty busy," Pompeo told Extra in 2022, "but that would be fun. I would love it." Pompeo went on to present her friend with the Billboard Music Award for top female artist in 2015.
The "Speak Now" artist rounds out her many friendships with actors with her relationship with Oscar winner Laura Dern. The "Marriage Story" star was featured in Swift's music video for the song "Bejeweled" and she gushed about the singer, calling her a "lifelong friend" in a USA Today interview. "Oh, she's amazing," Dern said, adding, "She's a genius in every area, including direction."
Ice Spice teamed up with Taylor Swift for the remix to 'Karma'
Taylor Swift is a big Ice Spice fan, so much so that she reached out to the rapper to collaborate with her on a remixed version of her track "Karma." According to an audio released by Spotify, the pairing couldn't have happened more naturally. "I had been listening to her nonstop — like getting ready for my tour, I was just listening to Ice Spice constantly," Swift explained. "So I immediately got her number and said, 'Hey, would you wanna do your version of 'Karma'? Do you relate to this?' She jumped in headfirst."
The track debuted on the "Enchanted" singer's album "Midnights (Till Dawn Edition)." Ice Spice also performed with Swift on stage for three tour stops in New Jersey, where they showcased the joint music video they starred in together. The "In Ha Mood" rapper admitted that beyond the music, she and Tay have formed quite a bond. "I was like, 'You f— with my project? Like, what?'" she told The Guardian. "She's so sweet — I was so obsessed with how humble she was and willing to work. She gives me so much advice. We talk all the time and she's so funny."
It's safe to say that Spice is officially squad status — with the pair seen gabbing it up at awards shows together when they're not rocking out onstage. "That's my sis," the rapper told Variety of their friendship. She even added that she got tons of tips and career advice after watching Swift's Netflix documentary "Miss Americana."
Is Brittany Mahomes the newest addition to Taylor Swift's squad?
The media just can't seem to get enough of Taylor Swift's budding relationship with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce. Ever since the singer showed up to cheer him on in the VIP box in September, Swifties all over the world are now becoming football fans. In addition to her dating life, the paparazzi can't help but notice her newfound friendships with her fellow VIP Kansas City Chiefs fans. She's been getting cozy in box seats next to Kelce's mother Donna, and Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes and Swift have been chumming it up in the stands so much so that the pair even have their own secret handshake. The two were caught on video celebrating a Chiefs touchdown with some moves of their own — and while we're not sure what is required to be a member of the Swift Squad — it seems like Mahomes is the newest addition to the exclusive girl gang.
Swift even invited Mahomes for a night out in New York City alongside other squad members, like Sophie Turner, Gigi Hadid, Selena Gomez, and Cara Delevigne. A source told Us Weekly at the time that "Brittany is having a blast hanging out with Taylor and her friends," adding, "She loves making new friends and loves how down-to-earth Sophie, Gigi, Selena, and Cara all are."