'She would never say that': Fans back Reba McEntire as she denied reports claiming she called Taylor Swift 'an entitled little brat'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Fans have voiced support for Reba McEntire after she cleared the air concerning the ongoing controversy with Taylor Swift. The American country singer took to social media to debunk a rumor she had seen circulating online that claimed she had previously called Swift "an entitled little brat" at Super Bowl LVIII.
"Please don’t believe everything you see on the Internet. I did not say this," McEntire wrote beneath a screenshot of the false headline, as per Billboard. "Taylor is a wonderful artist, strong role model and has done so much good for so many people and the music industry," she added.
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How did the controversy involving Taylor Swift orginate?
McEntire came under the scanner when the report was originally shared by a Facebook account named America Loves Liberty. The page describes itself to be a "satire" account and notes "nothing on this page is real."
"Reba McIntire (sic) talks about how disappointed she was to look up at the big screen while performing The National Anthem, only to see Taylor Swift laughing and drinking and making a mockery of the event. ‘I let her have it afterward. She’s an entitled little brat'" the original post read.
America Loves Liberty's response to Reba McEntire's statement
In a response to McEntire's statement on her Instagram, America Loves Liberty issued their own response on Monday, March 18, writing, "Dearest new fans: Reba isn't a victim of some horrible rumor. Reba fell for satire. Reba can't read past a headline."
In the comments section, they cited Hustler Magazine v Falwell as exemplar for not being sued. The case was argued in front of the United States Supreme Court in the late 1980s and established that parodies of public figures, even ones with the intention to inflict emotional distress, are protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.
Reba McEntire performed the National Anthem at the Super Bowl
McEntireperformed the National Anthem at the Super Bowl while Swift was in the stands rooting for her boyfriend and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Videos of Swift chugging a drink from the comfort of her stadium suite during the Super Bowl later went viral online as the NFL shared footage from the jumbotron. The incident took place shortly after the kickoff.
Reba McEntire joked she had a crush on Travis Kelce
McEntire joked on 'Today' last fall that she was "mad" at Swift for dating Kelce as she had a crush on the NFL player. "Oh, my gosh, I am so mad because I had a crush on him…Now I can’t have a crush anymore because he’s dating her," she said at the time. Swift and Kelce have been dating since last year, but the news broke out when they debuted their relationship last fall.
Internet reacts after Reba McEntire addresses the situation
Soon after Reba McEntire issued the statement, several of fans backed her in the comments section. "They spelled your name McIntire. So made up story AND a lazy proofreader! 😂", laughed one while another said, "Auntie Reba is non problematic. Leave her alone."
One user questioned the page, "People saying they wish Reba said this…weird behavior. You wish she was unnecessarily confrontational with a fellow artist? To what end?", another wrote, "Anybody who has actually been a Reba fan for a minute now would KNOW Reba would never act like that. With gentle hands and the heart of a fighter..... She's a survivor."
"Reba is a very classy nice woman. She would never say that", opined one user.
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
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