Billboard issued a public apology to Taylor Swift after a nude wax figure of the pop star, initially used in Kanye West’s infamous Famous music video, was allegedly mistakenly included in a video celebrating her career.

The backlash was swift and severe, with fans voicing their outrage over the inappropriate choice, leading the publication to remove the footage and apologize.

The controversy began when Billboard, in a video honoring Swift’s career achievements, accidentally featured the wax figure—originally part of West’s controversial 2016 music video.

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The figure depicted Swift in a nude and highly sexualized manner alongside other high-profile celebrities such as Amber Rose, Donald Trump, and Kanye West himself.

this is disgusting @billboard ! @taylornation13 @treepaine do your work pic.twitter.com/cgoh9UtW80

— Taylor Swift 🪶statistics ⸆⸉ (@TSstatistics) November 27, 2024

The Famous video, which was seen as an act of humiliation towards Swift, had already stirred a massive public feud between the two stars, and the inclusion of the figure in the Billboard video reignited the controversy.

The incident drew a wave of criticism on social media, particularly from Swift’s fans, who were furious that such an image would be included in a tribute video meant to celebrate her career.

Billboard quickly responded, issuing an apology and expressing regret over the “error.”

“We are deeply sorry to Taylor Swift and all of our readers and viewers that in a video celebrating Swift’s achievements, we included a clip that falsely depicted her,” the publication stated in its apology, which was shared on X (formerly Twitter) on November 28. “We have removed the clip from our video and sincerely regret the harm we caused with this error.”

We are deeply sorry to Taylor Swift and all of our readers and viewers that in a video celebrating Swift’s achievements, we included a clip that falsely depicted her. We have removed the clip from our video and sincerely regret the harm we caused with this error.

— billboard (@billboard) November 28, 2024

Billboard’s apology, however, did little to quell the anger from Swift’s fans, who continued to call out the publication for its poor judgment.

Many expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision to include the offensive clip, questioning how such a serious mistake could have occurred in the first place.

“This is unprofessional and disrespectful,” one fan wrote. “They had plenty of other images to choose from, but they picked this one?” Another added, “It’s not just an error; it’s an intentional dig at Taylor, and that’s why this is so wrong.”

While the wax figure’s appearance in the video was the most recent public issue for Swift, it was far from the first time her image had been misused or disrespected in the public eye.

The wax figure’s origins trace back to West’s Famous video, which featured naked wax sculptures of various celebrities in provocative poses.

The video’s release, and West’s accompanying lyrics about Swift, caused an outcry from fans and ignited a feud that lasted for years.

In 2016, Swift publicly refuted West’s claim that she had given him permission to use her name in the lyrics of Famous.

The situation escalated when West’s wife, Kim Kardashian, released a phone call between West and Swift that seemed to suggest the singer had agreed to the lyric.

The fallout was massive, and Swift faced public shaming and media scrutiny, but she later rebounded with a string of successful albums.

Billboard’s gaffe follows another controversy, this time surrounding Swift’s ranking in the publication’s list of the greatest pop stars of the 21st century.

Despite her massive influence on the music industry, Swift was placed second on the list, with Beyoncé taking the top spot.

Fans were quick to argue that Swift deserved to be No. 1, pointing to her extensive catalog, record-breaking albums, and the success of her Eras tour.

“The disrespect is unreal,” one fan commented. “How is Taylor not No. 1? She is the biggest artist of this century, hands down!” Others called for Billboard to reconsider their ranking, citing Swift’s unprecedented success in both the pop and country music worlds.

Billboard defended its decision, stating that Swift had a “much later” start in the millennium compared to other artists.

However, this explanation did little to ease the frustrations of Swift’s loyal fanbase, who believe she was unfairly snubbed.

Despite these controversies, Swift has continued to rise above the drama and focus on her music, with Midnights and Evermore both charting among her most successful albums.

Swift’s ability to handle public scrutiny with grace and continue dominating the music industry only solidifies her place as one of the most influential artists of this century.

As for the wax figure incident, Billboard’s apology may have been too little, too late for many, but it underscores the ongoing challenges that Taylor Swift faces in the public eye.

While the publication’s apology was necessary, the question remains: will they, and others, respect Swift’s boundaries in the future?