Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Spring Summer 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    • Digital Issues
    • Women Who Win
    1. Celebrity News

    Taylor Swift Explains the Real Meaning of ‘Cancelled!’ Amidst Blake Lively Rumours

    Jenny Proudfoot's avatar
    By Jenny Proudfoot
    Published 6 October 2025 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Taylor Swift performs onstage during the Eras Tour
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Taylor Swift's record-breaking 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, continues to make headlines. And since its release, just days ago, all 12 tracks have gone viral.

    It is new song, Cancelled!, that has undoubtedly made the most news, with fans convinced that the lyrics are about Swift's longtime friend, Blake Lively.

    Blake Lively and Taylor Swift in New York City

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    The Gossip Girl actress has faced major online backlash since the controversial release of It Ends With Us last summer. And with Swift becoming implicated in the ongoing legal battle between Lively and director, Justin Baldoni, there were reports that their friendship had ended.

    However, Swifties believe Cancelled! to be the singer's response, with the track appearing to be a song of support to her friend.

    "Did you girl-boss too close to the sun?," reads one lyric. "Did they catch you having far too much fun? Come with me, when they see us, they'll run. Something wicked this way comes."

    You may like
    • Madonna's Confessions II: Madonna performs at TSX Stage in Times Square on June 4, 2026 in New York City. Madonna's Confessions II Deserves to Be the Album of the Summer, But the Response Proves We Still Punish Women for Ageing
    • Lexi Minetree in Elle, the Legally Blonde prequel Legally Blonde's Prequel Elle Captures the Lost Joy of Analogue Adolescence
    • Cece Jewellery A Day in the Life of Cece Fein-Hughes, the Jewellery Designer Loved by Celebrities

    "Good thing I like my friends cancelled," the chorus later adds. "At least you know exactly who your friends are. They're the ones with matching scars."

    A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

    A photo posted by on

    This is something that Swift opened up about in her Official Release Party of a Showgirl film. And while she didn't reference Lively, the Opalite singer did comment on cancel culture in general.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    "[Being canceled is] something everyone goes through now," Swift reflected. "It’s not just like a public figure type whatever, it’s like people gossiping about you in your town, negative comments you read on your Instagram. You can literally feel canceled by any sort of social backlash that you get.

    A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

    A photo posted by on

    "Anytime people get backlash, I tend to be the person they reach out to," Swift later added. "So it’s very funny because it’s just sort of like, ‘Oh yeah, OK, somebody told me that you got in trouble for making that joke. Hey, yeah, how are you doing? It’s going to be fine. You’re going to be fine. Do you want to go to lunch? Yeah, it’s fine."

    She continued: "I kind of wanted to write a song about how you can become wiser for it and you can become sharper, and I definitely judge people a lot less now that I’ve been kind of under the microscope for so long. I just judge people based on who I know them to be, their actions, not like some kind of general consensus where people are like, ‘Step away! They’re radioactive.’ I’m just not going to do that. I’m going to do that if somebody proves that they’re not a good person."

    We will continue to update this story.

    Jenny Proudfoot
    Jenny Proudfoot
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Features Editor

    Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

    In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.

    Read more
    Madonna's Confessions II: Madonna performs at TSX Stage in Times Square on June 4, 2026 in New York City.
    Culture Madonna's Confessions II Deserves to Be the Album of the Summer, But the Response Proves We Still Punish Women for Ageing
    Lexi Minetree in Elle, the Legally Blonde prequel
    Culture Legally Blonde's Prequel Elle Captures the Lost Joy of Analogue Adolescence
     
     
    Cece Jewellery
    Watches and Jewellery A Day in the Life of Cece Fein-Hughes, the Jewellery Designer Loved by Celebrities
    No mascara trend, bare lashes
    Make Up I've Been a Mascara Addict for Two Decades—Apparently That's No Longer "Cool"
     
     
    Latest in Celebrity News
    Olivia Rodrigo performing on stage in a babydoll dress that sparked online debate, later prompting the singer to speak out about the sexualisation of girlhood and double standards facing young women.
    Celebrity News “We Really Normalise Pedophilia in Our Culture”: What Olivia Rodrigo's Babydoll Dress Backlash Reveals About Girlhood
    Meghan Markle in 'With Love, Meghan'
    Celebrity News Meghan Markle’s Sweet Glimpse Into Sussex Family Life Is Going Viral
     
     
    Anne Hathaway attends the premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2
    Celebrity News Anne Hathaway Has Spoken Out About Her 10-Year Health Battle
    The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Isles of Mull and Iona
    Royal News Royal Experts Predict a Major Milestone From Princess Kate This Autumn
     
     
    Latest in News
    The Beauty Digest: New Products to Know
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: A Foundation With Infinite Shades, Diptyque Does Bodycare, and the Exhibition Every Beauty Lover Should See
    Eva Omaghomi
    Fashion After 17 years in the Royal Household, Eva Omaghomi Talks Bringing African Design Talent to Harrods
     
     
    New Beauty Products: The Beauty Digest
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: Dyson Does Teeth, Fenty Rips Up the Rulebook (Again) and a Surprisingly Fragrant Week for Dogs
    Jodie Comer
    Shopping Jodie Comer Just Announced the Start of Knee-High Boots Season
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.