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A video accusing pop star Taylor Swift of engaging in “Satanic rituals” at her concerts has gone viral on Facebook and stirred outrage among conspiracy theorists.
The video, posted last week by the right-wing blog known as The New American Magazine, highlights a recent show from Swift in which she is seen wearing a green cloak. The pop star is also accompanied by backup dancers holding what have been described as golden orbs.
“You’ve got Taylor Swift doing all kinds of witchcraft rituals and satanic stuff on stage,” the video’s narrator says.
The post goes on to state that the “impact of this EVIL on Americans and humanity is enormous” before urging viewers to “keep patriots informed of the truth” by sharing the video.
Users in the comments were quick to claim that the songwriter had sold her soul to the devil for fortune and fame, despite no actual evidence being provided.
“I never like her from the very beginning,” one commenter wrote. “I know she will show her true color when she became popular, she sold her soul to the devil for popularity and success in music.”
“And yet most people think this is just a show. Open your eyes!” another added.
No, Taylor Swift isn’t performing ‘Satanic’ rituals
Yet neither Swift’s nor her dancers’ attire appears to be “satanic” in any way. And supporters of Swift were just as quick to flood the video’s comments.
“Anytime a woman has power and influence, they call her a witch,” one user said. “Things never change.”
“This is absolutely idiotic. And if you believe this crap so are you,” a second user said.
Many also used the opportunity to blame Facebook, a platform that has long been associated with perpetuating conspiracy theories among older conservatives and baby boomers.
“Facebook is the only place where you can even reasonably try to convince people that this is an actual thing,” one commenter added.
Of course, there is no evidence whatsoever that Swift is in any way involved with Satanism or any sort of rituals. But, unsurprisingly, Swift’s fame and previous support of President Joe Biden has made her a target for right-wing conspiracy theorists.
In Just the last year, Swift has been embroiled in numerous conspiracy theories. Most notably, Swift has been repeatedly labeled as a Pentagon psyop aimed at securing the 2024 presidential election for Biden. The hilarious claim was even mocked by Biden himself after receiving wall-to-wall coverage on outlets such as Fox News.
Just like countless other celebrities, Swift will almost certainly continue to be associated with the devil regardless of what she actually says or does.
Why it matters
Pop stars have been getting accused of being Satanists for decades, so it’s no surprise that Swift is now one of the primary targets for such claims.
While artists over the years have purposely invoked dark imagery to garner attention, Swift can hardly be considered one of them.