'I went down really, really hard': Taylor Swift opens up about Kanye West and Kim Kardashian feud

Taylor Swift is contemplating the mental toll of her past feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. The 33-year-old pop sensation, named TIME's 2023 Person of the Year, openly discussed the 2016 incident where the rapper, 46, released the song "Famous" containing a contentious lyric about her. Swift, in a cover interview, addressed the fallout, including the release of an edited phone call by West's then-wife, 43, contributing to public misperceptions.

Taylor Swift's Emotional Turmoil

"Facing a meticulously crafted setup, an unlawfully recorded phone call was manipulated by Kim Kardashian and broadcasted to label me a liar," Taylor Swift recounted. The Grammy winner revealed the profound impact, admitting to relocating abroad, isolating herself in a rental house for a year, and developing a deep-seated fear of phone conversations. 

The ordeal led to severe emotional distress, causing Swift to withdraw from most people in her life due to a pervasive lack of trust, resulting in a significant personal and psychological struggle.

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Preceding the Storm

Even preceding the clash with West and Kardashian, the "Karma" artist expressed vulnerability in her career. Post-1989, Swift felt exposed, enduring criticism. Responding to being labeled a "snake" with the revenge-themed Reputation, she grappled with the aftermath. The hitmaker feared the 2017 project's backlash would permanently define her negatively.

Swift previously discussed her feud with West, asserting he didn't run the lyric "I made that bitch famous" by her. In the posted recorded phone call, they discussed a different lyric, but Swift later revealed on Instagram that West never informed her about calling her "that bitch" in the song.

Unraveling the Disputed Phone Call

In 2016, a representative for the artist from Midnight stated to PEOPLE that "Kanye did not seek approval but called Taylor to request the release of his single 'Famous' on her Twitter account." The spokesperson emphasized that Taylor was not informed of the specific misogynistic lyric, 'I made that bitch famous,' cautioning against its release.

"The world lacked understanding of the context and the preceding events," Swift explained to the outlet regarding the phone call. "Nothing unfolds abruptly; there are events that lead up to it. Certain occurrences angered me before [West] referred to me as a bitch."

"It wasn't an isolated incident," she elaborated. "I grew weary of the ongoing dynamic between him and me. It extended beyond that phone call and song—it became a chain reaction of events. I began to sense a reconnection, which felt gratifying because all I ever yearned for since the 2009 incident was his respect. 

When someone vehemently disrespects you, claiming you don't deserve to be here—I desperately sought that acknowledgment from him. I regret that aspect of myself, craving approval from someone who was antagonizing me. But that's where I found myself."