Charli XCX Defends Herself After Taylor Swift Fans Slam Her For ‘Dissing’ Reputation Tour

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Ouch! After opening for Taylor Swift’s record-breaking ‘Reputation’ tour last year, Charli XCX seemed to be shading the opportunity — and the Swifties weren’t pleased.

UPDATE: After Taylor Swift fans flooded Charli’s social media feeds, she responded with a tweeted statement at 1:08 p.m. PT on Tuesday, August 6. “I want to clarify there is absolutely no shade and only love here!” Charli clarifies. “As I say in the article, I am extremely grateful to Taylor for inviting me to open for her…leading up to that tour I’d been playing a tone of 18+ club shows, so to be on stage in front of all ages was new to me.” Read her full statement below!

The Swifties aren’t happy about this one! When asked about her experience on Taylor Swift‘s “Reputation” tour, Charli XCX, 27, threw some shade at the pop star. “I’m really grateful that [Taylor] asked me on that tour,” Charli told Pitchfork magazine in a new interview published Tuesday, August 6. “But as an artist, it kind of felt like I was getting up on stage and waving to 5-year-olds.” Yikes! Charli and Camila Cabello, 22, were both personally invited by Swift to join her on the sold-out stadium tour, which comprised of 53 dates in North America, Europe, Australia and Japan. The show broke a record for being the highest-grossing US tour, reportedly selling 2 million tickets and drawing over $200 million in sales.

At the time, Charli seemed excited about the opportunity, retweeting Taylor’s video announcement and saying, “I AM SO EXCITED THANK U TAYLOR FOR HAVING ME.” While the tour would have been a big step for the “Boom Clap” singer — who primarily headlines at smaller venues for under 2,000 people — the British-born singer confirmed she’s changed her mind about opening for good. “I’ve done so much [opening], and it really cemented my status as this underdog character, which I like now,” she continued. “But I just need my own f—–g s–t finally.” Charli, who was born Charlotte Emma Aitchison, has opened for a number of big acts over the years, including Coldplay, Katy Perry, and Ellie Goulding.

After the interview went live, Taylor Swift’s army of fans quickly came to her defense on social media. One Swifty tweeted, “she’s over. for a healthier option lover out aug. 23” (This was a reference to one of Taylor’s own quotes — she referred to her new album Lover as a ‘healthier option’ in a Tumblr post shading Scooter Braun). Another fan shared, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds u.”

Taylor, 29, has yet to respond to Charli’s comments, but her new album Lover drops in a few short weeks. Charli fans can also expect new music, as she recently announced that her self-titled third studio album will be released September 13.