First Spotify, then Scooter Braun, and now WCHS. Taylor Swift is suing the “Churchill Observer” over a negative album review written in 2018. The whole debacle began after an anonymous Wootton student messaged Taylor on Instagram with a picture of the article to stir up drama. After reading the harsh comments about her album “Reputation,” Taylor officially declared bad blood with the “Observer.”
The article was written by former WCHS staff writer and Class of 2020 alumni Robbie Robertson. Hearing about the chaos his article evoked has been a surreal experience for the college senior. He never would’ve thought his article would lead to a highly publicized defamation case with the most famous pop star in the world.
“When I first heard Taylor was suing the ‘Observer,’ I was in my dorm eating some cold pepperoni pizza,” Robertson said. “My mom texted me a link to an article, and the pizza fell straight out of my mouth. I was pretty shocked because I barely even remembered writing the article. It doesn’t stress me out too much. After all, she’s suing the ‘Observer,’ not me personally.”
The situation may not be a huge stressor for Robbie, but current writers are biting their nails as they wait to hear the outcome of the case. They are surprised that Taylor would even care about the comments of a small high school publication, but evidently, she could not just shake it off when she read the brutal slander about her songs. Taylor has not yet released a statement on the issue, but her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce, has been more loose-lipped about the situation.
“I don’t know why anyone would say those things about Taylor’s music,” Kelce said. “It’s flat-out rude and I hope that everyone and that jabroni involved gets consequences. Taylor had to miss one of my big playoff games to meet with her lawyer about this, so my teammates and I are all pretty mad about it.”
Kelce is not the only one who is up in arms about the situation. Taylor’s fans, who call themselves “Swifties,” are fuming. They have flooded the “Observer” email with violent threats and taken to social media to display their anger. Some Swifties who attend WCHS have since shared their opinion.
“I am ashamed to be a WCHS student,” WCHS freshman Blake Blakely said. “Taylor is my idol and the fact that my high school’s newspaper said those things is infuriating. I hope the ‘Observer’ gets the karma it deserves.”
Blakely even started an online support group for Taylor called “WCHS Swifties against the Observer.” In addition to the support group, she posts edited videos and embarrassing pictures of “Observer” staff members as part of her “revenge plan.” She is leading the charge on this movement and has rallied over 30 WCHS students to join her cause.
“My goal is to empower Taylor and make her feel like the absolute girl-boss she is,” Blakely said. “I am currently making armbands and posters for Taylor supporters as well as encouraging everyone I know to boycott the ‘Observer.’ My message is simple: look what you made me do.”
