After Aug. 20, Taylor Swift‘s schedule is clear until October. But that doesn’t mean she’ll be getting on a plane to Chicago anytime soon.
Deadline reports that despite what Swifties may want, the singer will not be making a surprise appearance at the Democratic National Convention. A DNC insider tells Deadline, “Everybody loves Taylor, but having her here would overshadow everything. Think about it: No one would remember a word the Vice President said in her acceptance speech. All the headlines would be about Swift. That doesn’t help us right now.”
Meanwhile, Billboard polled legal experts to see if Taylor could actually sue Donald Trump over reposting AI-generated imagery that makes it seem as though she has endorsed him. Turns out the answer is yes, if she’s willing to be in it for the long haul.
Jessica Silbey, a professor at Boston University’s School of Law, tells Billboard that the fake endorsement violates Taylor’s “right of publicity,” adding, “This kind of use — being made to say and seen as believing things you don’t — is at the core of the right.” What’s more, Taylor could possibly sue him for defamation and claim that the fake endorsement damaged her reputation — no pun intended — in some way.
However, Woodrow Hartzog, another law professor at B.U., says a lawsuit would be long and expensive, and Trump could possibly use the defense that he didn’t create the content and anyway, it’s free speech.
Or, as he puts it, “I’m skeptical the juice would be worth the squeeze.”
Taylor has yet to endorse a candidate in this election. In 2020, she endorsed the Biden/Harris ticket.
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