It’s quite unlikely that anyone would ever refer to Taylor Swift as a “terrorist,” but a decade ago, the creator of Saturday Night Live, Lorne Michaels, did just that.
Back in 2015, when Swift was 25 years old, she tried to persuade producer Lorne Michaels, who was 70 at the time, to cancel a skit about her that was set to air on the hit sketch show. During a phone conversation, Michaels firmly told her, “Taylor, I do not negotiate with terrorists,” and then casually tossed a flake of popcorn in the air and caught it in his mouth.
This exchange sounds like it could be a skit from SNL itself. It all began when the veteran writer called Swift to see if she’d be willing to star in the skit. Naturally, the singer of “Shake it Off” declined the offer.
So, what was this skit that Michaels wanted Swift to be part of? It was a parody of the music video for her hit song “Bad Blood.” Despite Swift’s objections, Michaels went ahead with the idea and handed the reins to Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, who were promoting their 2015 comedy “Sisters” at the time.