Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran go way back, and their friendship has lasted for more than 14 years. From performing together onstage to supporting each other through difficult moments, the two famous musicians have stood by one another. However, Swift is reportedly keeping her distance from longtime friend Ed Sheeran after controversy erupted over a political message at one of his shows.
It appears Swift and Sheeran’s friendship is being tested following Sheeran’s latest shows. According to Mandatory, journalist Rob Shuter learned from an insider that the issue began after the Perfect singer brought Macklemore as a special guest during his MetLife Stadium show. During the show, the rapper called for “Free Palestine,” sharing his political alignment. During his performance of Hind’s Hall, a slideshow of pictures from Gaza appeared behind him.
Swift reportedly keeps herself from making such political statements. She reportedly distanced herself from her longtime pal to avoid getting embroiled in the controversy. The insider said, “Taylor wants no part of this.” The source further assured her fans that the pop star is friends with Sheeran, but she is “incredibly careful about what becomes attached to her name.”
Swift has been vocal about her political views in the past. Therefore, she reportedly refuses to inherit someone else’s political controversy for friendship. She is known for being incredibly protective of her brand, which is why the source said, “This isn’t Taylor turning against Ed.” Instead, the insider added, “It’s Taylor protecting Taylor. She knows one text, one photograph, one comment can become an international headline.”
This is not the first time the Love Story crooner distanced herself from a close pal to allegedly protect her brand. Even during Blake Lively’s messy and highly publicized legal battle against Justin Baldoni, Swift maintained her silence. The tumultuous legal battle ended in a settlement and also put a full stop on Swift’s decade-long friendship with the Gossip Girl star.
Previous reports alleged that Lively’s team blackmailed Swift into releasing her text exchange with the actress. Allegedly, Lively’s team demanded that the pop star publicly support her during the court battle. Eventually, their messages became public after Baldoni’s legal team got their hands on them.
Swift and Lively’s friendship strained to such an extent that the pop star did not invite her close pal and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, to her wedding. When almost all of Hollywood came under one roof, the couple’s absence was reportedly duly noted. According to Style Caster, Swift also snubbed the It Ends With Us star on her birthday.
An insider claimed that Lively was hoping for Swift to reach out on her birthday. However, all she got from the godmother of her children was silence. “A text. Flowers. Even two words: ‘Happy birthday.’ Nothing came. That silence said everything,” revealed the source.
The insider claimed that Lively was hopeful that she and Swift would eventually get back together. “She thought time would cool everything down and Taylor would eventually remember how much they loved each other,” the source shared. The birthday snub reportedly changed everything.
Lively has reportedly understood that she cannot turn things around with Swift anymore. Their friendship has reportedly ended. Moreover, she cannot force the Opalite singer back into her life.
