Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” Music Video No Longer Includes the Word “Fat” After Being Labeled Fatphobic

Taylor Swift removed the word “fat” from a scene in her “Anti-Hero” music video after it was labeled as “fatphobic”. The 32-year-old singer released her tenth studio album, Midnights, last week (Oct. 21) with “Anti-Hero” as the lead single – and while it has, since, broken two Spotify records, it also stirred a major controversy.

Coinciding with the album’s release, Swift dropped a music video, which she wrote and directed, for the new hit song. The video is said to be inspired by her own “nightmare scenarios and intrusive thoughts.” And, at its midway point, shows the singer stepping on a scale while a villainess version of herself watches in dismay.

The original cut zoomed in on the scale and showed the word “fat” before cutting to both Swifts looking disappointed at the result, which resulted in many accusing the singer of promoting narratives that are harmful to the fat community. Now, the video has been edited to remove the word “fat” and instead, shows Swift stepping on the scale, and then shows her other self reading it and shaking her head.

The Grammy winner has not yet released a statement or offered any clarification regarding the change; however the edits can be seen on YouTube and music streaming platforms.

Swift isn’t the only pop artist who has edited their work due to online criticism. Earlier this year, both Lizzo and Beyoncé released songs that sparked backlash for including “ableist terms”. When Lizzo removed the word “spaz” from her song “GRRRLS”, she wrote on Instagram, “I never want to promote derogatory language. As a fat Black woman in America, I’ve had many harmful words used against me so I overstand the power words can have.” She added that her edit was the result of her “listening and taking action.” Beyoncé removed the same word from her song “Heated” and issued a statement that read, “The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced.”

Swift’s music video banter sparked criticism from critics and devoted fans, alike. Olivia Truffaut-Wong wrote in The Cut, “The idea of being ‘fat’ might be an ‘intrusive thought’ or a ‘nightmare’ for Swift — a valid experience that many people of all sizes can relate to. But the fact is that she has never lived in a ‘fat’ body (no matter what internet trolls might say),” and further noted that Swift doesn’t have a documented history of championing body diversity.

Another tweeted, “Taylor Swift’s music video, where she looks down at the scale where it says ‘fat,’ is a shitty way to describe her body image struggles. Fat people don’t need to have it reiterated yet again that it’s everyone’s worst nightmare to look like us.”

Many suspect that Swift’s video was inspired by her experience with having an eating disorder, which she shared in her Miss Americana documentary, and later elaborated on in an interview with Variety. She said that unflattering photos, such as “a picture of me where I feel like I looked like my tummy was too big” would cause her to “starve a little bit — just stop eating.”