Let’s Reassess Where Taylor Stands With Her “Bad Blood” Girlies Today

Status: Good

Cara Delevingne was one of many model-actors that appeared in Swift’s squad. According to Insider, the two first met at the 2013 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and took a few photos backstage. By the next year, Delevingne had joined the singer’s inner circle. Not only did she star as Mother Chucker (a fighter known for her nunchuck skills) in the 2015 “Bad Blood” music video, she also attended Swift’s 1989 tour that same year.

Luckily, their friendship remained strong beyond the 1989 era. In 2019, Delevingne publicly supported Swift amid her feud with Scooter Braun over the ownership of her music. Then, after the release of 2020’s Folklore, Swift sent Delevingne a replica of the oversized sweater she wore in the “Cardigan” music video.

Now, nearly three years after that cozy gift, it appears their connection hasn’t dwindled. This year alone, Delevingne attended (and livestreamed) the opening night of Swift’s Eras Tour in Arizona and was seen hanging out with the singer last month.

Status: Distant, But Friendly

Cindy Crawford is another supermodel that made it into Swift’s squad. ICYMI, she starred as the Headmistress in the “Bad Blood” music video. It seemed this role was destined for Crawford, as she compared her latex, sword-wielding character to her fierce walk at Thierry Mugler’s 1990 runway show.

In terms of Crawford and Swift’s current friendship status, it seems a bit gray. The two stars haven’t been spotted together since the “Bad Blood” era; however, Swift seems to be cordial with Crawford’s daughter, Kaia Gerber.

Gerber was one of many celebrities who received the Folklore cardigan in 2020 (ahem, her aforementioned selfie with Delevingne) and she attended Swift’s L.A. Eras show on Aug. 8. With that said, there’s a chance Swift and Crawford might still be in one another’s good graces.

Status: Good

There’s no denying that Swift is a fan of Ellen Pompeo. The singer named one of her three cats Meredith Grey after Pompeo’s Grey’s Anatomy character. She reportedly got Meredith the cat in 2011, so it made sense to book the actual Meredith for her “Bad Blood” music video years later. Pompeo had a five-second cameo as a character named Luna.

It appears the two are still on good terms, even if Pompeo didn’t consider herself as part of the singer’s former squad. In May 2022, rumors swirled that Swift would make a surprise appearance on Grey’s Anatomy. While that didn’t come true, Pompeo (who left, but might return to the show in the future) did say a Swift appearance in the series “would be fun.”

That’s not all, though. In March of this year, the actor attended the Eras Tour show in Las Vegas with her three kids.

Status: Possibly On Bad Terms

This is another case of a gray-area friendship. Ellie Goulding and Swift first met as guests on the Jonathan Ross Show in 2012. The two remained close afterward, so much so that Swift tapped Goulding to play Destructa X in the “Bad Blood” music video. If that doesn’t speak to their bond, Goulding also reportedly introduced Swift to Calvin Harris, whom she later dated from March 2015 to June 2016.

Since that relationship infamously ended on a sour note, fans assumed that Swift might’ve had a falling out with Goulding, too. The two singers haven’t publicly interacted since the 1989 era, so it seems like they have drifted apart.

Status: Good

Gigi Hadid and Swift’s friendship goes back to the mid-2010s. The two first met at Vanity Fair’s Oscar party in March 2014, and Hadid shared their interaction on Instagram, per People. It wasn’t long until she became a staple in Swift’s inner circle, making her the perfect cast mate as Slay-Z in the “Bad Blood” video.

The duo continued sharing sweet moments over the next eight years, cementing that they’re still close friends. In 2015, Hadid joined Swift on stage during one of her 1989 shows. The following year, Swift gifted Hadid a personalized cake for her 21st birthday.

The two stars have also publicly hung out several times this year, most recently when Hadid cheered on the singer at the Eras Tour in July.

Status: Not Close, But No Bad Blood

Hailee Steinfeld was another member of Swift’s early friend group. She starred in the “Bad Blood” music video as The Trinity, the only member to get a three-person character. Similar to Hadid, she also appeared on Swift’s 1989 tour in 2015.

These few moments proved the two were friends, but not on a besties level. In an August 2016 interview with Seventeen, Steinfeld revealed that she and Swift aren’t as close as fans think, but she complimented Swift as being “amazing” nonetheless.

As for where they stand now, it’s a bit uncertain. The two singers haven’t been spotted together since the 1989 show; however, they’re both now prominently dating NFL players.

Status: Good

Hayley Williams and Swift’s connection goes all the way back to 2009, when they met as first-time attendees at the Grammys. Nearly two years later, Swift brought Williams out to sing “That’s What You Get” during her Speak Now tour. Their friendship hit another echelon four years later, when Williams appeared in the “Bad Blood” cast as the Crimson Curse — a genius nod to her iconic red hair.

After 1989, their bond flew under the radar. It wasn’t until this year that the two began publicly praising one another. For the first half of Swift’s Eras Tour, Paramore served as one of the opening acts. During their Mar. 17 set, Williams revealed that Swift’s mom, Andrea (whom she met backstage at the 2009 Grammys), inspired the two to become close.

“[Andrea] said to me, ‘My daughter, she just played, she’s just getting started and she doesn’t really know anybody in the business,” Williams said in a fan video, per Variety. “‘And I just really want her to be around people her age that are doing the same thing,’ and so I got her number.”

Nearly four months later, the two stars collaborated on Swift’s Speak Now vault track “Castles Crumbling.”

Status: Distant, But Friendly

Jessica Alba was another notable face in the Sin City-esque music video. Alba’s cameo in “Bad Blood” (a motorcycle-riding icon named Domino) made perfect sense, as she starred in that exact action movie in 2005. While her friendship with Swift seemed sudden at the time, the two actually had a brief run-in at the 2010 American Music Awards. There, the actor presented Swift with the Favorite Country Female Artist trophy.

In August 2015, three months after the music video’s release, Alba shared a sweet photo with Swift on Instagram. “My lil #squad w the most beautiful, talented and kindest @taylorswift,” she wrote.

While the two haven’t been seen together since this photo op, it seems there’s no ill will between them. Alba (alongside her husband and three children) attended the singer’s Eras Tour in August, proving her Swiftie stan card hasn’t declined.

Status: It’s Complicated

Well, this is where the bad blood officially starts. Karlie Kloss and Swift’s friendship began with a Vogue interview and a passion for baking. In January 2012, Swift told the outlet she wanted to “bake cookies” (her unofficial second career) with the model, and Kloss showed interest in the plan. However, they wouldn’t officially meet until November 2013 at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

After that meeting, the two became practically inseparable. Leading up to Kloss’ role as Knockout in the “Bad Blood” video, they went on a road trip to California together and graced the cover of Vogue in 2015. These sweet moments conjured up a rumor the two were more than friends (enter Kaylor), but Swift denied the hearsay on Twitter in 2014. Then, in 2018, their friendship suddenly seemed to take a dark turn.

Swift was notably absent from Kloss’ wedding to Jared Kushner that year, and it sparked theories the once-besties might’ve fallen out. In response, Kloss claimed they were “still friends” in a March 2019 interview on Watch What Happens Live.

In another complex twist, Kloss was seen hanging out with Scooter Braun amid his feud with Swift over the ownership of her masters in June 2019.

Fans were even more confused when Kloss attended one of Swift’s Eras Tour shows this year, especially since she sat in nosebleed seats instead of a reserved section.

Status: Good

Other than the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, social media was an ideal place for Swift to find her star-studded crew. That can be said for her friendship with Lena Dunham, whom she met on Twitter in October 2012 after the actor complimented her Red album as “triumphant.” That praise led to a reported DM, where they seemingly built enough conversation for Dunham to be invited to the “Bad Blood” set.

Though there was speculation that Dunham’s breakup with Swift’s producer Jack Antonoff may have caused Swift to distance herself from Dunham, the two proved they’re still close. In 2021, Swift became Dunham’s bridesmaid for her wedding to Luis Felber.

Status: Good

It appears the 2013 Victoria’s Secret Show was a gathering ground of Swift’s future besties. Similar to Delevingne, Lily Aldridge met Swift at the fashion event that year. Two years later, the model starred in the “Bad Blood” music video as Frost Bite. Luckily, it doesn’t seem their friendship is running on thin ice.

Like most of Swift’s inner circle, Aldridge made a surprise appearance at the 1989 tour. Then, in September 2016 — two days after Swift’s reported breakup with Tom Hiddleston — the two pals had a girls’ night out in New York. The two had dinner at The Greenwich Hotel and wore coordinating outfits, because ~friend telepathy.~

Their bond only strengthened from there, including Aldridge praising Swift on her 28th birthday in 2018 and attending the Eras Tour this summer.

Status: Good

Let’s load up a batch of friendship bracelets for this iconic detective. Similar to Swift’s cat Meredith Gray, the singer named another one of her feline pets after Hargitay’s Law & Order character: Olivia Benson. In a May 2015 interview on Late Night With Seth Meyers, the actor revealed she and Swift first met at the Met Gala. While it’s not clear what year they crossed paths, the SVU legend offered some insight to their conversation.

“I met her at the Met Gala, OK, and I was so uncool. 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?” Hargitay teased. “But she was so sweet.”

Though Hargitay felt she wasn’t impressive on their first meet, she certainly scored enough points to star in Swift’s “Bad Blood” music video. Since then, the two have remained on one another’s radar. Like most of the “Bad Blood” cast, Swift invited Hargitay on stage during her 1989 tour, and the actor attended the Eras Tour earlier this summer.

Status: Good

The Victoria’s Secret Angel hive continued. It appears Swift first met Martha Hunt at the brand’s fashion show in 2014, where she performed her 1989 hits “Blank Space” and “Style.” This meeting came full circle, as Hunt would later join the “Bad Blood” visual as Home Slice. Similar to Swift’s friendship with the other Angels, her bond with Hunt went beyond the music video’s set.

Hunt has been extremely supportive of Swift in the years since. In the midst of Swift’s feud with Kanye West in 2016, the model publicly defended the singer on Twitter.

In July 2018, Hunt (alongside Hadid and Este Haim) attended the singer’s Reputation show in her hometown of Pennsylvania and visited Swift’s childhood home, further proving they were in it for the long haul. For an extra dose of sweetness, Hunt showed the singer some 30th birthday love on Instagram a year later.

Status: Good

It’s no secret that Selena Gomez and Swift have been close for years. And by the looks of their current bond, it seems the two have another few decades under their belt. The two singers reportedly met in 2008, when Swift was in a relationship with Joe Jonas and Gomez was dating Nick Jonas. Now that’s a double date!

Since then, the friends kept in contact and would occasionally share sweet moments at events like the 2014 Met Gala. The following year, Gomez snagged her most impressive role yet (sorry, Mabel — you own that spot now): She starred as Arsyn in Swift’s “Bad Blood” music video.

Over the years, the two have often praised one another on social media and their friendship in interviews. Gomez notably called Swift her “only friend in the industry” in a November 2022 cover story with Rolling Stone, and she attended one of Swift’s Eras Tour dates in Texas earlier this summer. The two were also all smiles at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, proving their bond will outlive us all.

Status: Unknown

Serayah’s appearance in the “Bad Blood” cast was a well-deserved one. At the time, the singer-actor was a promising star on Fox’s Empire and released a few hits on the series (hi, “Drip Drop.”) By the end of Empire’s first season, Serayah stepped into her role as Dilemma in the 2015 music video.

The two haven’t been seen together since “Bad Blood,” but that doesn’t mean Swift hasn’t left a lasting impression on Serayah. In a December 2022 feature with Rolling Stone, Serayah spoke about her brand ambassador role for DeLeón Tequila and how she originally wasn’t a fan of the liquor’s taste. However, Swift gave her a new perspective.

“My first time [trying tequila] was taking shots with Taylor Swift actually,” Serayah told the outlet. “Before that, I used to drink dark [liquor] only. I love [tequila] now. It’s lightweight, provides good vibes, and I can wake up and attack the next day easily.”

Status: Possibly On Bad Terms

Zendaya and Swift’s friendship is another one that seemingly fell to the sidelines. However, it wasn’t always that way. Zendaya appeared in the “Bad Blood” roster as Cut Throat, a knife-slinging warrior who could take out an enemy (or in the music video’s case, a stuffed bear) with one throw. Their bond seemed to be strong, until the rise of Swift’s feud with Kanye West in 2016 caused a sudden rift.

Here’s a quick refresher on the drama. In April of that year, Swift and West were going back and forth over the rapper’s track “Famous.” The opening verse features a diss toward Swift, and West alleged the singer gave him the green light to name drop her on an hour-long phone call. Shortly afterward, Swift denied West’s claims. By the end of that month, West’s then-wife Kim Kardashian released the phone call, which appeared to support West’s side of the argument.

Many celebrities, including Zendaya, took to social media to share their thoughts on the situation. While the Euphoria star didn’t specifically say anything, she reportedly liked a few tweets that weren’t in favor of Swift. The former friends haven’t been seen together since, alluding they might’ve drifted apart following this saga.