Taylor Swift’s ‘Anti-Hero’ music video appears to have been edited amid backlash
By Dan Heching, CNN
The backlash against one moment in Taylor Swift‘s “Anti-Hero” music video appears to have prompted the release of an updated version.
Eagle-eyed Swift devotees noted on Wednesday that the Apple Music version of the Grammy-winner’s video, from her tenth studio album “Midnights,” no longer includes a controversial moment that showed the word “fat” on a scale. By Thursday morning, the YouTube version of the video had also been replaced.
The video, which was written and directed by the singer, is meant to portray Swift’s “nightmare scenarios and intrusive thoughts,” according to her Instagram.
The scene that angered some viewers shows Swift in the bathroom weighing herself on a scale as her inner critic (also played by Swift) looks on.
A closeup of the scale reveals the word “FAT” instead of showing a number, and crestfallen Swift looks down as the other Swift shakes her head, disappointed.
The new version of the video no longer cuts to the word, a moment some body positivity advocates construed as fatphobic.
CNN has reached out to Apple as well as representatives for Swift for comment.
Swift has previously made references to her past battles with disordered eating and body image struggles.
In her 2020 documentary “Miss Americana,” Swift said unflattering pictures and unkind comments about her figure would sometimes “trigger me to just starve a little bit — just stop eating.”
The debate over the video even made it onto “The View,” where co-host Sunny Hostin said critics “missed the point.”
Regardless, the controversy has seemingly had little effect on the album’s popularity. Swift’s new album, which was released on October 21, has sold more than 1.2 million album units in the US during its first three days of release, according to Billboard, citing the music data firm Luminate. The initial sales figures include any pre-orders.
Swift has also become Spotify’s most-streamed artist in a 24-hour period thanks to “Midnights.”
This story has been updated to reflect that the YouTube version of Swift’s video has also been replaced with a new version.
The-CNN-Wire
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