Was Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift‘s friendship really in such a rocky place a few years ago?! The story goes the 22-year-old singer removed pictures of her former “hero” from the Bluebird Cafe before a performance! HARSH if true! But is it??
The rumor started when the content creator Swiftologist posted a video to YouTube on Tuesday, in which an employee at the famous Nashville music venue spilled the tea. They claimed the establishment “vowed to remove any visible signs of Taylor Swift” when Olivia performed with Sheryl Crow in 2023. The person added:
“We respect the girlies.”
If true, wow! We know their friendship was strained when Olivia had to give Taylor songwriting credits for her tracks 1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back and Deja Vu. They were deemed similar to the superstar’s hits New Year’s Day and Cruel Summer, respectively. However, we didn’t think the Bizaardvark alum was so bitter over what happened that she would make such a petty move!
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Its especially hurtful since the Bluebird is where Taylor was discovered at by Big Machine Record label owner Scott Borchetta! Damn! Watch the video (below):
Yikes…
The accusation caused a lot of friction online between the Swifties and Livies. But is this fandom war much ado about nothing? Maybe so! It turns out what the employee said wasn’t exactly correct…
Yes, The Bluebird Cafe removed a picture of Taylor. But it was NOT at the request of Olivia and her team! General Manager Erika Wollam Nichols set the record straight in a video posted to X (Twitter) on Thursday, saying:
“Olivia’s people did not ask us to remove an image of Taylor Swift. Nobody did.”
Nichols explained the performance was filmed, so the cafe is “legally” required to remove any photos, like the one of Taylor, within frame due to copyright reasons:
“We don’t own those images, so we cannot give permission for those images to be used in any kind of broadcast. That’s the sole reason that that photograph was removed from the place it stood. Our employee that spoke out of turn about this did not understand why that image was removed, he spoke carelessly and haphazardly about it—maybe trying to be funny about it.”
Oh! That makes total sense!
Regardless, the general manager stressed that the Bluebird never removed an image of Taylor because of any beef with Olivia. In fact, it was only one photo that got the boot! Everything else remained in place, including her chair! Nichols continued:
“This was not anything between two artists. We support all songwriters, all artists and give them equal share. Taylor is a super friend to the Bluebird and we have her in the highest esteem. We were honored to have Olivia here. Please know, they both live extremely high in our regard. Please do not get upset with anything of this. It was a mistake on the part of the employee, and I’m here to clear that up so you know that this was something that we were just required to do for legal reasons. Thank you so much for listening. Please know that we at the Bluebird Café support Taylor. We support Olivia and we’re grateful for your support.”
There you have it! And next time, if an employee doesn’t know what’s going on, perhaps just say no comment! LOLz! Watch the full explanation video (below):
Bluebird Cafe General Manager Erika Wollam Nichols clarifies some questions we’ve received: pic.twitter.com/wHyIYDd3a3
— The Bluebird Cafe (@BluebirdCafeTN) June 18, 2025
Thoughts, Perezcious readers? Let us know!
[Image via The Bluebird Cafe/X, MEGA/WENN]
The post The Truth Behind Wild Rumor That Olivia Rodrigo Had Taylor Swift’s Pics REMOVED Ahead Of Bluebird Cafe Performance! appeared first on Perez Hilton.