Old Taylor Swift Video Resurfaces … Fans Call Her Out For Making “Ghetto” Joke
Taylor Swift may be the world’s biggest pop star right today, but an old video clip that resurfaced this week has the internet — especially Black Twitter — questioning whether she might be an undercover racist.
The Clip
The viral video shows a young Taylor Swift hanging out with friends during her early country track days. In the clip, Taylor can be heard joking about her mom’s ringtone. According to reports, Taylor’s mother had the song “Bossy” set as her ringtone, and when it went off, Taylor burst into laughter with her friends.
Instead of just laughing at the ringtone itself, Taylor allegedly described it as “ghetto,” mocking her mom for having it. Her friends laughed along, and the clip ends with Taylor cracking up about how “ghetto” her mother was acting.
Why Black Fans Are Upset
For many Black viewers, the word “ghetto” carries baggage. It’s a term that has often been used to stereotype or demean Black culture, especially when used by white people. So hearing Taylor throw the word around so casually — even if it was years ago — didn’t sit well.
“She always gave me undercover racist vibes,” one commenter posted on X.
Another added: “Not surprised. They always slip up eventually. First it’s jokes like this, then it’s silence when it’s time to speak on real issues.”
Context Matters
It’s important to note that the video is old — back when Taylor was just breaking into the industry as a teen country creator. But fans say that doesn’t excuse it.
“She was old enough to know better,” one critic argued. “We’re not talking about a 12-year-old. She was a teenager already chasing fame.”
Others believe it reflects a larger issue with Taylor’s early career, which leaned heavily on her country-mami image — a scene that hasn’t always been inclusive of Black voices.
Silence From Taylor
As of today, Taylor Swift hasn’t commented on the resurfaced video. That silence is also rubbing fans the wrong way.
“If this were Beyoncé or Rihanna caught joking about something racially insensitive, it would’ve been headlines for weeks,” one fan said. “Taylor gets away with everything because of her image.”
Swifties Push Back
Not everyone is ready to cancel the pop superstar. Taylor’s die-hard fans — known as Swifties — are defending her, saying the clip is being taken out of context.
“People are reaching,” one fan wrote. “She was joking about her mom, not Black people.”
Another added: “This is from like 15 years ago. Y’all need to stop digging for reasons to hate her.”
The Bigger Picture
Still, the conversation reflects a broader truth: when you’re as big as Taylor Swift, everything you’ve ever done is up for scrutiny.
Whether she addresses it or not, the resurfaced clip is today part of the discourse around her — and for many Black fans, it’s confirmation of suspicions they’ve had for years.
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