Taylor Swift's Jet Tracking Drama Is Messier Than We Originally Thought
Taylor Swift's battle to silence Jack Sweeney, the college student who tracks — and tweets about — her private jet usage just got even messier. Sweeney has been updating fans about the trips Swift's private jet takes since November 2023, in part, to criticize her impact on the environment. Sweeney compiles the Federal Aviation Administration's public data, which is available to all who know (or care) where to look. However, Swift has taken issue with having her travels put on blast in such a concentrated, consistent matter.
In December 2023, Swift's legal team sent Sweeney a cease-and-desist letter, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The petition lambasted Sweeney, who previously focused on other public figures, for using an Instagram version of his account, to garner attention and potential wealth. Swift's legal team also accused Sweeney of putting Swift — who's recently dealt with encounters with stalkers — in more danger. "This reality has forced our client to live her life in a constant state of fear for her personal safety," continued the document. "That fear is and has been significantly heightened due to your reckless actions."
Sweeney has since lawyered up. Sweeney's lawyer, James Slater, appeared on "Good Morning America" to defend his client. "This is just another string in an effort by a rich and powerful person to try to silence public criticism and free speech," said Slater (via ABC News). Sweeney also tweeted out a screenshot of his legal response, captioning the post with Swift's song, "Look What You Made Me Do."
Taylor Swift's private jet usage is a sore spot
Given Taylor Swift's recent issues regarding stalkers, it makes sense that she wouldn't want her daily whereabouts blasted out in such a public manner. In January 2024, a man returned to Swift's New York residence two days after being arrested for stalking and harassment, according to CNN. Although he was quickly taken into custody, knowing that the first arrest didn't deter him is enough to make anyone nervous. And, as Swift's lawyers previously asserted, it is possible that another stalker could use the public flight information to figure out how to intercept Swift's travels and attempt to approach her at home.
However, there's also a second possible reason that Swift may not want every flight she takes to become public conversation. Over the past couple of years, Swift has received intense backlash regarding her private jet usage in recent years. According to Rolling Stone, Swift beat out all other celebs, with her plane taking 170 flights between January and July of 2022, thus emitting over 8,200 tons of carbon emission. While Swift's spokesperson denied that Swift was personally responsible for every flight, she hasn't been able to shake the label of being negligent towards the environment.
Sweeney's updates about her frequent travels probably haven't helped.