Taylor Swift is being showered with love despite Donald Trump’s hate.

The former president lashed out at the pop superstar on his Truth Social over the weekend following her recent endorsement of Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” Trump wrote in all caps.

Trump’s post comes just days after Swift took to social media to voice her support for the Harris campaign. Swift expressed her admiration for Harris, calling her a “steady-handed, gifted leader” and a “warrior” for causes including LGBTQ+ rights and women’s reproductive freedoms. She also called out Trump posting fake AI images that had falsely suggested she supported him.

“It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” she said about the doctored images. “It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.”

Swift signed her Instagram post as “Childless Cat Lady,” aimed at Trump’s VP candidate JD Vance, who used that description to demean Democratic leaders without children. Swift’s endorsement post of the Democratic candidates brought around 400,000 people to the Vote.gov registration website in the following days.

Following Trump’s message of hate, a number of celebrities and politicians alike took to social media to note how much they “love” Taylor Swift, and #ILoveTaylorSwift was trending on X within hours. Some public figures that came forward in support of the “Cruel Summer” singer include “King Swiftie” Flavor Flav, actor Mark Hamill, author Stephen King, actress Mia Farrow and former Republican House Representative Liz Cheney.

Most surprisingly, Scooter Braun took to his Instagram Stories to clap back at Trump’s message. “Shake it off Donald. Kamala 2024,” he wrote, in reference to Swift’s 1989 hit, “Shake It Off.” Braun has a history of “Bad Blood” with Swift, as he acquired Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Records Label Group and Swift’s catalog for $300 million in 2019. Braun later sold Swift’s masters in 2020, prompting Swift to begin the process of re-recording her first six Big Machine albums.

See below for celebrity reactions to Donald Trump’s message to Taylor Swift.

I LOVE TAYLOR SWIFT,!!

— FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) September 15, 2024

Says the smallest man who ever lived. pic.twitter.com/0CpyGvhsuk

— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) September 15, 2024

I love Taylor Swift.
Her music makes me happy.
End of story.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) September 15, 2024

#ILoveTaylorSwift pic.twitter.com/msb9CREhCN

— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) September 15, 2024

#ILoveTaylorSwift

— Mia Farrow 🏳️‍🌈 🌻🇺🇸💙 (@MiaFarrow) September 15, 2024

Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell has apologized to his bandmates for the ugly scene on Friday in Boston when the vocalist attacked guitarist Dave Navarro during a show. “This weekend has been incredibly difficult and after having the time and space to reflect, it is only right that I apologize to my bandmates, especially Dave Navarro, fans, family and friends for my actions during Friday’s show,” Farrell said in a statement shared with Billboard.

“Unfortunately, my breaking point resulted in inexcusable behavior, and I take full accountability for how I chose to handle the situation,” Farrell, 65, added in the mea culpa that came several days after the shocking scene at Boston’s Leader Bank Pavilion when the singer attacked Navarro during a performance of “Ocean Size.”

In fan video of the moment, an agitated Farrell lunges at Navarro and throws a shoulder into his bandmate before punching the shocked-looking guitarist in the chest as the two men are separated and Farrell is dragged backstage.

Navarro, 57, issued a statement on Instagram on Monday morning apologizing to fans for the disturbing scene and for the cancellation of the rest of the reunited band’s U.S. tour. “Due to a continuing pattern of behavior and the mental health difficulties of our singer Perry Farrell, we have come to the conclusion that we have no choice but to discontinue the current US tour,” Navarro wrote.

“Our concern for his personal health and safety as well as our own has left us no alternative. We hope that he will find the help he needs,” he continued. “We deeply regret that we are not able to come through for all our fans who have already bought tickets. We can see no solution that would either ensure a safe environment on stage or reliably allow us to deliver a great performance on a nightly basis.” The note was signed “our hearts are broken.”

In addition, a source tells Billboard that Farrell is “heartbroken” by his actions. “He realizes that he waited too long to prioritize his well-being. His exhaustion and the toll it has taken on both his physical and mental health has gone too far. He had the best of intentions heading out on tour with the band and feels like he’s let his fans and family down.”

On Saturday, the band issued a statement in an Instagram Story announcing that Sunday night’s planned show in in Bridgeport at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater had been cancelled before announcing that the entire tour was scotched.

Shortly after the on-stage blow-up, Farrell’s wife, Etty Lau Farrell, issued a statement about the incident that featured some background on what she said contributed to the meltdown. “Clearly there had been a lot of tension and animosity between the members.. the magic that made the band so dynamic. Well, the dynamite was lit,” she wrote on Instagram alongside a video of the onstage fight. “Perry’s frustration had been mounting, night after night, he felt that the stage volume had been extremely loud and his voice was being drowned out by the band. Perry had been suffering from tinnitus and a sore throat every night. But when the audience in the first row, started complaining up to Perry cussing at him that the band was planning too loud and that they couldn’t hear him, Perry lost it.”

She also noted that backstage Jane’s bassist Eric Avery “put Perry in a headlock and punched him in the stomach three times… Perry was a crazed beast for the next half an hour — he finally did not calm down, but did breakdown and cried and cried. Eric, well he either didn’t understand what descalation meant or took advantage of the situation and got in a few cheap shots on Perry.”

The beloved alt rock group was formed in Los Angeles in 1985 by Farrell, Navarro, Avery and drummer Stephen Perkins and released two highly influential studio albums — 1988’s Nothing’s Shocking and 1990’s Ritual de lo Habitual — before embarking on their farewell tour as part of 1991’s first Lollapalooza festival. Avery had long been a hold-out in subsequent reunions, replaced by the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Flea on a 1997 tour and then by Martyn LeNoble and Chris Chaney on subsequent tours. The original four gave it another shot in 2008 for a world tour, though Avery took leave again in 2010 before the release of the band’s fourth studio album, The Great Escape Artist.

Avery was back in the fold again in 2022 and, after Navarro’s absence for two years due to the effects of long COVID, the guitarist was back on stage this year for the North American tour, the first by all four original members in 14 years. The outing launched in early August and was slated to run through mid-October. At press time the future status of the band was unknown.

See Navarro’s statement below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dave Navarro (@davenavarro)

Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun are on opposite ends of one of the music industry’s biggest feuds — but when it comes to the 2024 presidential election, both of them are on the same side.

The SB Projects founder made that much clear when he responded to Donald Trump’s viral “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT” post — which the politician declared on Truth Social Sunday (Sept. 15) — via Instagram Stories. Resharing Trump’s post about the pop star, Braun wrote, “Shake it off Donald,” referencing Swift’s Billboard Hot 100-topping 1989 lead single.

“Kamala 2024,” the music entrepreneur added.

Billboard has reached out to Swift’s rep for comment.

Braun’s post comes five days after Swift shared her endorsement of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, which was the catalyst behind Trump touting his dislike for the 14-time Grammy winner over the weekend. In a lengthy message on Instagram Sept. 10 that was posted right as the presidential debate ended, Swift wrote that she believes Harris is a “steady-handed, gifted leader” and called out the twice-impeached ex-POTUS for sharing AI-generated images falsely portraying the “Karma” artist as a MAGA supporter.

Between then and now, Trump has said that he “was not a Taylor Swift fan” and suggested that she would “pay a price … in the marketplace” for endorsing Harris. He’s also started selling T-shirts directly imitating Swift’s Eras Tour merch on his campaign website.

Trump’s VP pick, JD Vance, has also weighed in. “I don’t think most Americans — whether they like her music, are fans of hers or not — are going to be influenced by a billionaire celebrity, who I think is fundamentally disconnected from the interests and problems of most Americans,” he said of the pop star on Fox News’ The Story Sept. 11, after which Harris’ campaign pointed out the irony of Trump also being a billionaire celebrity before crossing over into politics in 2016.

Braun’s post also marks the third time in recent weeks that he’s spotlighted Swift on his Story, turning the heads of many fans who haven’t forgotten his bitter conflict with the superstar over the sale of her masters in 2019. In August, he not only reshared a TMZ article about the “Anti-Hero” singer’s beachside getaway with Travis Kelce and Blake Lively — “How was I not invited to this?!? #laughalittle,” he wrote at the time — but the mogul also told followers that he had “finally watched” Max’s Taylor Swift vs Scooter Braun: Bad Blood.

“You’d think after his previous posts about her he’d learn by now,” an industry source told Billboard at the time. “It’s like he’s obsessed.”

LONDON — Four months after opening its doors following a troubled, repeatedly delayed launch, Co-op Live has announced the appointment of Guy Dunstan as general manager and senior vice president of the United Kingdom’s biggest entertainment arena. Dunstan succeeds interim GM Rebecca Kane Burton, who was parachuted into the role in April when the venue’s original manager, Gary Roden, resigned several days after an ill-fated preview test event.

Dunstan, who has over 25 years of experience in the live events industry, most recently as managing director of arenas for NEC Group, where he was responsible for the 15,685-capacity Resorts World Arena and 15,800-capacity Utilita Arena in Birmingham, takes up the post at the Oak View Group-owned venue Oct. 21. As part of the executive reshuffle, Burton is promoted to executive vp of venue management for OVG International, where she will oversee the firm’s facilities, sports, entertainment, and hospitality divisions.

Located in the city of Manchester, Co-op Live is OVG’s first major project outside the United States and cost £365 million ($462 million) to build. Billed as a “game-changing” best-in-class arena facility, the much-hyped 23,500-capacity venue was originally due to open April 23 but high-profile construction delays led to multiple rounds of show cancellations before British rock band Elbow became the first act to officially play at the Populous-designed arena on May 14.

Since then, Co-op Live has staged over 35 events, including shows by the Eagles, Pearl Jam, Liam Gallagher, Jonas Brothers and Megan Thee Stallion, and sold more than 900,000 tickets. In November, MTV’s Europe Music Awards (EMAs) will be held at the venue, marking the first time the event has been held in Manchester. Other upcoming bookings for 2024 include Paul McCartney, Janet Jackson, Crowded House, Glass Animals and Charli XCX.

“As we move into the next chapter of the venue’s story, Guy’s leadership will be a significant asset in helping us achieve our goals for Co-op Live to become the most sustainable arena in Europe and a first-choice venue for artists and fans worldwide,” said Jess Koravos, president of OVG International, in a statement announcing Dunstan’s appointment.

“What’s really exciting for me is that this venue has been specifically designed for live music and live entertainment,” Dunstan, a former chair and vice chair of the National Arenas Association, tells Billboard in an exclusive interview.

“When I first walked in and had a tour with [OVG chairman and CEO] Tim Leiweke I immediately said: ‘This is a dream to be able to work in a venue like this.’ Because everything has been designed to be focused on the customer experience and focused on the artist experience. That 365-million-pound investment means it is the top venue in the market, which makes it so exciting for me to be coming in to run it.”

Here, Dunstan discusses his vision for Co-op Live, his thoughts on the arena’s tumultuous launch, the recent furore around dynamic ticketing in the U.K. and more.

Congratulations on your appointment. What are you goals and long-term ambitions in the role?

A lot of great work has been done since the venue opened in terms of getting Co-op Live established and getting the promoters and artists used to working in the venue. That’s provided a great platform for me to be able to now come in, evaluate and focus on the areas that we need to carry on doing well, as well as those that we need to continually improve on. That’s what I’ve learnt in the past 28 years: our business doesn’t stand still. It’s continually evolving. Every day they’ll be a challenge that is thrown at you. And you have to have a structure and a team in place to deal with those unforeseen circumstances. Longer term, it will be about making sure that we’re providing the best possible experience for everybody who comes into the venue – front of house, back of house – and to thrive in that environment.

You were not involved with Co-op Live at the time of its troubled launch but as someone working in the live music business you must have followed the story closely.

My heart went out to the team. Every venue has had a day or a period where there’s been an issue, or a crisis and it has been under the spotlight. At that time, I reached out to one or two members of the team and took a very supportive view on that. What’s been great since then is how the team has bounced back and have really focused on the event programme. All the events that we’ve done since that opening period has really moved that [conversation] forward very quickly. 36 events have already been done. 900,000 tickets sold. In our business you have to learn, adapt, move on and grow. And I’ve definitely seen that in the time that I’ve been able to look at the venue.

What has been the reputational damage to Co-op Live from that chaotic three-week opening period and the many shows that were cancelled?

Things move forward very quickly. You’re as good as your last event and since the arena has been operating it’s been providing some great shows. Liam Gallagher was quoted as saying this venue is up there with [New York City’s] Madison Square Garden. The Eagles were saying the amenities, sight lines and facilities are what other venues should strive for. So that’s what I think is now driving that reputation. People are experiencing what the venue is all about and the focus is now on continuing that journey. We’ve got a venue that is first-in-class and that reputation and the awareness of that will grow every time we put an event on. When fans buy tickets and come into the venue that’s where their perceptions will really be built.

One of the biggest criticisms of Co-op Live from visitor reviews is the high price of food and drinks with a pint of beer costing almost £9.00 (almost $12.00). How do you justify those prices?

Since the pandemic there’s been a huge increase in cost in terms of food and beverage provision, so those prices are in line with the general arena market, and we have to reflect that in the price that we pass on to the consumer.  What I would focus on there is the quality and range of the product [available]. When you walk into Co-op Live, one of the things that really strikes you is that the facilities feel like what you would expect to see on a high street or at the high-end range of clubs and bars. 15-20 years ago, venues at this level were essentially just bowls with a functional concourse for people to get around and some holes in the wall to get a burger and a warm pint. There was no real focus on the customer experience, but that’s where our industry has evolved over time and Co-op Live has taken it to a new level.

Co-op Live is OVG’s first arena outside of the U.S. and marks the start of the company’s international expansion plans. What impact has OVG’s entrance into the European market had on the touring and arena business?

It’s really important from a U.K. point of view that we’re an attractive proposition to artists and promoters. We’ve got over 20 arenas operating in the U.K. and introducing top-quality facilities into the market is a real positive because the whole market benefits from that. What OVG have done is refreshed the focus on venue management. I think there was probably a complacency in there. The market was well established with the major operators and what OVG have done is come in and completely focused on venues providing great customer experience, state of the art facilities and venues that are actually designed for the product they are delivering. I think OVG have really shifted that focus and revolutionized the way that operators look at their own venues.

One of the biggest stories in the U.K. live music industry recently has been the furore over dynamic pricing on tickets for Oasis’ comeback tour next year. What are your views on dynamic ticketing and is it something that Co-op Live welcomes?

Ticket pricing and how that is set is very much an artist and promoter focus. As venues, we will work with promoters to make sure we are facilitating their needs and requirements, but the subject of [dynamic pricing] is something I’m going to leave to artists and promoters to take a position on. The venue has no benefit from how that plays out.

Nevertheless, a key part of your business model is offering concert goers a wide range of premium, and VIP upsell seating options?

We don’t want customers coming to just one show a year to see their favorite artist. We want them to have a really great experience when they’re here and want to come back again and again. And we’ve seen that through the growth of premium, which has really shifted. There was a gap in the [premium] offer that [Co-op Live] has helped meet. In the past there was a big gap between the highest-level premium and general admission and to many people premium was seen as not attainable. Now there’s different entry levels and it is affordable. The proof is in the pudding in that demand for those premium experiences, over and above just buying a standard ticket, has grown immensely.

Earlier this year, a Parliamentary committee called for a new voluntary tax to be added to arena and stadium tickets sold in the United Kingdom to support struggling grassroots music venues. Is that something OVG and Co-op Live supports?

Yes. Where there is an opportunity to put a voluntary levy or artist-led additional fund onto the ticket that can then go back into supporting the grass roots sector is something we will support as an organization. There’s a will and a momentum to take this forward right across the live music chain, from artists to promoters to venues. This is something we have to do that benefits the sectors that really need that support.

U.K. live music trade groups have also been calling for a cut in VAT sales tax on concert tickets, which is currently set at 20%, to bring the sector closer in line with other European countries. What impact would that have on the U.K. live business?

The benefit would be felt right the way through [the ecosystem] – from venues of our size and nature to the grass roots sector. There is clear evidence [from other European countries where the VAT rate is lower than the U.K.] that it does benefit the live business. [Cutting VAT on tickets] is something I completely endorse because hopefully it brings ticket prices to a level that is more attractive. But also it can be used to support other parts of the eco system and enable it to be more viable at a grass roots level.

One of the biggest issues facing the live sector post-pandemic is the rise in costs throughout all levels of the production chain, coupled with wider economic pressures impacting on consumer spending. How do you offset those cost rises and what are you doing to make sure live music remains affordable for fans?  

That’s been a real challenge, particularly over the past three years or so in running venues of the size and scale that we operate. We have got to be really agile in the way that we manage costs and there’s costs that we have to continually review and monitor. Equally, we have to be mindful of how we deliver the customer experience and price sensitivity is really important. What I do see is that whilst the cost-of-living crisis has been a major issue globally, people are still really keen to come to entertainment venues. We’ve not seen an impact on ticket sales and what we have also seen is that people are still willing to spend money in the venues.

Harry Styles, who grew up in the small Cheshire village of Holmes Chapel, around 30 miles outside of Manchester, is an investor in Co-op Live and advised on aspects of the venue’s design. Can we expect to see him perform at the venue anytime soon?

When he is ready to tour, we’re ready and welcome for him to come and play and we really hope we’re the first venue [he chooses] when he comes back to play in the U.K. market.

Taylor Swift was feeling the sparks fly when Travis Kelce first came on the field at the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals game Sunday (Sept. 15).

Once again in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium to cheer on her favorite NFL team, the 34-year-old pop star attracted lots of eyes as she viewed the match from her usual perch in a box suite alongside friends and family. And before the game started, fan cameras captured her sweet reaction to a certain tight end entering the field: As announcers called out Kelce’s name while the entire stadium exploded, Swift set down her drink and started fanning herself, rolling her eyes upward in a swooning expression.  

The 14-time Grammy winner then recovered her composure and joined the other thousands of fans in clapping for Kelce, who went on to assist his team in winning a close 26-25 against the Ohio players. In the lead-up to Harrison Butker’s game-ending kick, Swift conversed with her mom, Andrea, and brother, Austin, as well as Kelce’s mom, Donna. At one point, both the “Anti-Hero” singer and tight end’s mothers appeared to hug.

The outing came 10 days after the Chiefs’ first game of the 2024-25 season at Arrowhead, which Swift attended wearing a chic denim crop top and red thigh-high boots. For Game 2, the musician sported a T-shirt dress blasted with Kansas City logos and a black pair of thigh-highs.

In between the two games — both of which occurred amid Swift’s ongoing break from the Eras Tour — the star attended the MTV Video Music Awards, where she won seven trophies including best collaboration and video of the year for “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone. While accepting the latter, Swift gave Kelce a special shout-out.

“I would always just hear someone cheering, like, ‘Whoo!’ from across the studio — that one person was my boyfriend, Travis,” she recalled of filming the visual with the tight end on set. “Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic, so I want to thank him for adding that to our shoot.”

See clips of Swift at the Chiefs-Bengals game below.

Cheering for her man pic.twitter.com/5DajxnikQx

— Tayvis Updates TV (@TayvisUpdatesTV) September 15, 2024

Even Taylor Swift can’t wait for 4:25 ET

BENGALS CHIEFS
CBS | @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/CwKxwLsnNt

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 15, 2024

This is adorable my Tayvis heart 🥹😭😍 pic.twitter.com/YxZNg70hwf

— holls ⸆⸉ (@holltoleratesit) September 16, 2024

Chiefs, y’all had her stressed pic.twitter.com/5da8CO0IpX

— Tayvis Updates TV (@TayvisUpdatesTV) September 15, 2024