Several years ago, the popular primetime television show recreated the pop singer’s headline-making music video. Recent reports have revealed that the award-winning artist had a notable reaction when invited to make an appearance in the recreation.
Lorne Michaels, the longtime head of “Saturday Night Live,” reportedly rejected Taylor Swift’s request to cut a sketch based on her music video for “Bad Blood.” The decision has stirred significant conversation, with the controversial clip now making waves online.
Back in 2015, Swift released her hit music video for the “Bad Blood” remix with Kendrick Lamar, assembling the ultimate A-list girl squad for a fiery, action-packed visual.
The original video featured an impressive lineup of famous women from across the entertainment world. Models like Cindy Crawford, Gigi Hadid, Karlie Kloss, and Lily Aldridge joined forces with singers such as Hailee Steinfeld, Ellie Goulding, and Hayley Williams.
The star-studded cast also included actors like Zendaya, Jessica Alba, Ellen Pompeo, and Mariska Hargitay. Swift’s longtime best friend, Selena Gomez, also took on a key role in the production, helping cement the video’s place in pop culture history.
Fans continue to revisit the music video years later, sharing their excitement in the comments section on YouTube. One viewer wrote, “a comeback like THIS in 2025 would shock the world for weeks.” Another chimed in, “this music video is iconic.”
iconic.”
The video’s enduring popularity is a testament to Swift’s influence on pop culture—an influence that even “SNL” couldn’t resist tapping into with its parody
The show has often been dismissed as middlebrow entertainment long past its prime, yet under Michaels’ leadership, it remains one of the highest-rated entertainment programs on broadcast television.
Despite its costly production, the show continues to dominate prime time, with clips from the previous season amassing 3.1 billion views.
Beyond the show itself, Michaels has built a comedy empire, producing hit series, blockbuster movies, and NBC’s late-night lineup, with familiar faces like Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers anchoring the network’s schedule from Monday through Saturday.
This unwavering creative vision was evident in 2015 when “SNL” reached out to Swift to do a cameo in a parody of her “Bad Blood” music video. The sketch portrayed her girl squad as an apocalyptic cult, a concept that did not sit well with the singer.
Swift directly called Michaels to convey that she would not participate and urged him to cancel the sketch entirely. Michaels listened but, unfazed, responded, “Taylor, I do not negotiate with terrorists.”
News of the songwriter’s request to cancel the sketch sparked a range of reactions online, with social media users quick to share their opinions. One person eagerly penned, “Can’t wait to see this sketch.” Another weighed in with sympathy, “Poor girl!”
The sketch aired as planned, and days later, Michaels found flowers in his office with a note from the multi-Grammy Award winner which read, “I hope there’s no bad blood.”
The video’s girl squad moment quickly inspired imitations, including two sketches on “SNL” Season 41. One portrayed a post-apocalyptic world ruled by Swift and her squad, with a narrator joking, “She wanted to collect the whole world until there was no world left to collect.”
Later, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler co-hosted the show and recreated the music video with Amy Schumer, Aidy Bryant, and surprise cameos from Gayle King and Robert Downey Sr.
The sketches continue to draw reactions online, with fans sharing their thoughts on YouTube. One viewer admitted, “It took me until 2 minutes in to realize it was a Bad Blood parody [sic].”
Another asked, “How did I not see this till now?” Someone else echoed the sentiment, “Omg how haven’t I heard about this until now??!!?? This was awesome.” Meanwhile, one fan praised the show’s creativity, “SNL is literally the best, always making new stuff to entertain all.”
The enduring impact of Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” music video and the subsequent “SNL” sketches demonstrate how pop culture moments can leave a lasting impression. Years later, both the original video and the parody continue to spark conversations, laughter, and fascination among fans.
