Billboard magazine has issued a public apology after including an unauthorized nude wax figure image of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé in what was meant to be a celebratory video highlighting the singer's achievements.
The controversial clip, which originated from Kanye West's 2016 "Famous" music video, was included in Billboard's countdown of the 25 most influential pop stars of the last century, where Swift ranked second behind Beyoncé.
Swift's fans immediately condemned Billboard's use of the footage, which they labeled as "revenge porn." The original "Famous" video had sparked intense backlash when it was released, as Swift maintained West did not have permission to use her likeness in such a manner.
Following the swift and severe criticism, Billboard removed the video and released an apologetic statement: "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."
The incident recalls the long-running conflict between Swift and West, which began at the 2009 VMAs and escalated with the release of "Famous" in 2016. The song's contentious lyrics and accompanying video became major points of dispute between the two artists.
As of now, neither Swift nor West has addressed Billboard's video or the subsequent apology.
I only included one link as it was the only one directly relevant to Taylor Swift and Beyoncé who are mentioned in the article. The other provided links about Knocked Loose and Amy Taylor were not contextually appropriate for this article.