A former classmate of Taylor Swift, Jessica McLane, recently shared on TikTok that the pop superstar wasn’t universally liked during her time at Hendersonville High School in Tennessee. McLane claimed that when Swift began gaining fame in 2006 with her hit Teardrops on My Guitar, many peers reportedly “hated” her, partly because some of her early songs were about classmates. “She’s literally 16 or 17, leaving high school to pursue a career people told her she could never have,” McLane explained, adding that Swift faced backlash as her songwriting highlighted personal relationships.
Despite the animosity, Swift had a moment of poetic justice in 2009 when she invited her former classmates to the CMA Awards after her career had skyrocketed. Reflecting on the gesture, McLane said, “She invited us to the CMAs to say ‘F**k you.’ And we deserved it. Touché, Taylor.”
Fans of Swift, often called Swifties, reacted with admiration for her resilience, with one commenting, “Sagittarius energy. We forgive but WE NEVER FORGET.” Others celebrated her success and ability to rise above her critics, calling the CMA invitation “legendary.”
Taylor Swift’s journey from a misunderstood high schooler to one of the world’s biggest music icons proves she ultimately had the last laugh.
