In handwritten note, Taylor Swift thanks ‘Barstool Sports’ creator Dave Portnoy for “having my back”

Barstool Sports creator Dave Portnoy has been one of Taylor Swift‘s staunchest fans and defenders, and now he knows just much she appreciates him.

The Barstool Sports podcast Instagram account posted a carousel of photos showing a handwritten note that Portnoy received when he attended Taylor’s concert on Oct. 19. In the note, she thanked him for “being so supportive, so loyal and for having my back when a lot of people didn’t.”

She added that she was “so happy to have you at the show tonight” and that she hoped he’d have a blast.

In a video recapping the show, Portnoy said the show as “spectacular,” and shared that he met Taylor’s mom, Andrea, and her brother, Austin, in the VIP section, and that Austin was the one who gave him the note. He then read the note to prove that those online who have called him a “performative Swifty” are wrong.

Portnoy, who was sporting an armful of friendship bracelets, concluded by saying that Taylor would want him to take the high road and not go off on the people who doubt his fandom. Instead, he said, “Let’s practice love.”