NOW THEY'VE GOT BAD BLOOD? Are popstars Taylor Swift and Leia Hudson feuding?

June 18, 2019. Lucy Richards for TMZ

Taylor Swift's You Need to Calm Down music video was hailed as a celebration of pride and friendship, but despite the overwhelming message of love and unity, fans are now speculating that one of Taylor's closest friendships may have hit a sour note. 

The video famously featured an ensemble of Taylor's celebrity friends and LGBTQ+ allies, but one glaring absence has set the internet ablaze: Leia Hudson.

Fans have speculated that Taylor and Leia's friendship first started when mutual friend, Karlie Kloss (someone who notably has not been linked to either in recent years), likely introduced the pair at the 2016 Met Gala. Three years on, and fans have been treated to various joint appearances from the duo - including Leia's supporting act performances for half of the reputation Stadium Tour which concluded last year.

Leia, a longtime fixture in Taylor's inner circle, was noticeably missing from the star-studded lineup in the music video that included A-listers like Katy Perry, Ryan Reynolds, and Laverne Cox. Katy Perry's appearance made headlines due to the previous feud between Swift and Perry (read the timeline of their infamous fight here!), so it's interesting that one feud may have ended just as another begins.

Leia's absence was enough to spark questions, but things took a dramatic turn when a video from the music video's release party surfaced online over the weekend.

In the now-viral clip, posted by one of Swift's video co-stars, an unidentified voice can be heard saying, "F*** Leia, you don't need that bitch in your life," while Taylor appears to laugh and smile in the background as party go-ers cheered in agreement. While it's unclear if Taylor is laughing at the comment or at something else said at the same time, the explosive comment has left fans reeling with many wondering if there's trouble in paradise for the once-inseparable friends.

Adding fuel to the fire, insiders have hinted that the alleged fallout might be linked to Leia's rumored reconciliation with her ex, Dylan Redcrown - a relationship Taylor was reportedly against from the start.

"Taylor has always been vocal about how she feels Dylan isn't good for Leia," a source close to the singer revealed. "When Leia started spending time with him again, it caused tension. Taylor just didn't want to see her friend get hurt."

Since Leia and Dylan 'hard-launched' their reconciliation back in the middle of March, eagle eyed fans have made several threads online about how Leia and Taylor have ceased on their interactions. While Taylor was always a little bit less public than Leia anyway, fans pointed out that the last Instagram photo she liked was back at the start of March.

Meanwhile, Taylor has chosen to focus on the success of the You Need to Calm Down video, sharing photos and behind-the-scenes moments with her all-star cast. One particularly telling post by her videographer was captioned, "Grateful for the ones who truly understand love and loyalty." Fans quickly interpreted it as a dig at Leia. This post has since been deleted.

The pop world is now divided, with some fans blaming Taylor for allegedly letting personal drama interfere with her message of inclusion and acceptance, while others are defending her.

"Taylor has every right to protect herself from toxic people," one fan tweeted, while another wrote, "If Taylor's preaching unity, she shouldn't be cutting Leia out over a guy."

Industry insiders are divided on what this means for the two stars.

"Leia and Taylor have been through so much together - it's hard to imagine this is the end. Leia has nothing but good things to say about Taylor, and I assume this would be the same for Taylor regarding Leia," one source close Leia provided.

However, a source from inside Taylor's camp has claimed, "This has been brewing for a while. Their friendship hasn't been the same lately. Leia's desire to prioritise toxic relationships has put a significant strain on their friendship and took a toll on Taylor."

Is Dylan really the wedge between them, or is there more to the story? For now, the world is waiting for the next lyric or social media post to shed some light on pop's most unexpected feud.

Swift's new album, Lover, rumoured to be about current beau, Joe Alwyn, is released this Summer. Hudson has not announced any future plans or releases.

Stay tuned as we update this article when more information drops!

___

"Do you think she's going to spiral? After seeing that video of Taylor laughing?"

Georgie looked up from her burrow on the bed, her eyes meeting Niall's as the singer leaned against the doorframe with tousled hair and a cup of steaming tea between his hands. She smiled gently at him, placing her phone down on the bedside table as he walked forward, pecking her lips and passing her the mug over.

"Yeah, um, I think... yeah, I think she probably is," Georgie admitted, her voice a little more gentle. "I mean, you've seen how she's been the last month since Tree got us all to sign those NDAs..."

Leia had been very adamant that Niall couldn't know about the leaked photos and Dylan's blackmail. Georgie had understood her reasoning - the more people that knew, the harder it was to make sure that Dylan didn't find out that Leia was talking about it, and the risk of Dylan hearing that she'd told others... 

But it wasn't Leia who had been violated. It wasn't Leia's naked body that was saved on Dylan's phone or computer and god-knows who else's. It was Georgie's, and it had been sent to Niall. And while Leia hadn't wanted to question the legitimacy of Niall and his phone leak, Georgie would have been unable to get back into a bed with him without knowing if he truly did not know anything about those photos being leaked.

Thankfully, he'd been just as furious as the rest of them when Georgie asked if he knew about it. It had taken four hours to calm him down, and Georgie had to take his phone away before he called up Dylan kicking and screaming, and blew things up for them all.

Now, Niall was a bit calmer. A bit.

He still swore that if Dylan came within four miles of him, he was going to kill him. A bit inconvenient for Leia trying to keep up appearances, but understandable nevertheless.

Georgie sighed, taking a sip of the tea Niall had brought her. The warmth spread through her body, a small comfort in the midst of this storm.

"She's clean, if that's what you're asking," Georgie muttered, her eyes flickering back to Niall's with the casual undertone of the allegation. "Azul has her doing daily drug tests, which she's been agreeing to. I think we need to be concerned when she stops agreeing."

"If," Niall corrected. "If she stops agreeing."

"Hmm," Georgie mused, but didn't correct herself.

Niall sighed before he sat down on the edge of the bed, his hand finding Georgie's knee and giving it a gentle squeeze. 

"It's not your job to fix everything, love. You're dealing with enough as it is."

"I know that, Ni," Georgie muttered. "She's still my sister though."

"I know that," Niall said softly. "But you need to take care of yourself too. We still don't know how far Dylan's willing to go with those photos."

The mention of the photos sent a chill down Georgie's spine. She set the mug down on the nightstand, her hands trembling slightly. Niall noticed and immediately pulled her into his arms.

"I've got you," he murmured into her hair. "We'll figure this out together, I promise."

___

"Are you spiralling?" Riven asked, walking into the recording studio with Adrian hot on his heels. Leia barely cast either of them a glance, continuing to pluck at strings on the guitar that was in her hands and hum under her breath.

"I'm sober," Leia replied, not directly answering the question that he was asking her.

Riven exchanged a concerned glance with Adrian before settling onto the couch across from Leia and turning off the metronome that she'd been playing while humming under her breath.  Her eyes snapped up to meet Riven's, a flash of anger crossing her features before she smoothed her expression into careful neutrality.

Leia's fingers stilled on the guitar strings as she finally looked between them both.

"I'm fine," she said, her voice clipped. "I'm writing. Isn't that what you wanted? What the label wants?"

Leia let out a bitter laugh.

"The love of my life has apparently decided I'm toxic enough to warrant having Tree release statements about me, she's now dating the man that she told me she would never and could never have feelings for, the media is having a field day speculating about our 'feud', my own fans are sending me hate and death threats because of all of this and meanwhile, just to add a fucking cherry on top, I'm being blackmailed by my psychotic ex."

Both men sighed. They should have known she'd seen the article from that morning, and they were stupid to think she wasn't going to have taken it all extremely personally. She had every right to do so.

"So, yeah, I'm fine," Leia nipped back. "Is this the part where you ask me to pee in a cup again? Call Azul and have him up his daily drug tests to twice a day? Get Georgie to call our parents again and guilt trip me?"

Yeah, that had happened too. After Leia had been told about Taylor and Joe becoming an actual non-PR couple, they'd all pretty much decided she was going to do something extremely ridiculous. It was a toss up between going AWOL and disappearing, having a fully public meltdown, taking cocaine again or shaving her head - although Riven knew her well enough to know the last option was not likely. 

So Georgie had phoned their parents. Told them everything that was going on and then put them on speaker to Leia.

That had been potentially the most backwards idea that anyone had - as now her parents were blaming her for Georgie even being wrapped up in this mess, and were refusing to speak to her. So that was just another thing to add to her list of fucked-up moments currently happening around her.

Adrian's jaw clenched as he listened to Leia's tirade. He watched as she gripped the neck of her guitar, her knuckles turning white with the force of her grasp. The fluorescent lights of the studio cast harsh shadows across her face, accentuating the dark circles under her eyes and the hollowness of her cheeks.

Adrian's gaze flickered to Riven, who sat with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together, a look of concern etched on his face.

"How long do we need to put up with this 'woe is me' spiel, Leia?"

Leia's head snapped up, her eyes widening in genuine surprise. Riven even turned to look at the older man, shooting him a 'wtf' look as Adrian shrugged as if he didn't have a single care in the world.

"You're Leia Hudson. You've faced adversity before and come out stronger. This isn't the end of your career, it's a bump in the road. A big one, sure, but still just a bump."

Leia's shock slowly morphed into indignation. She stood up, her fists clenched at her sides. "You think I'm just moping? You have no idea what it's like to-"

"To have your personal life splashed across the tabloids?" Adrian interjected. "To feel betrayed by someone you trusted? To have your career hanging by a thread? Trust me, Leia, I've seen it all before. And I've seen artists come back from worse."

Leia blinked.

"The world is watching, Leia," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "They're waiting to see if you'll crumble or rise. Dylan, the media, the news channels - they're all expecting you to break. Are you going to give them the satisfaction?"

Riven, who had been silently observing, leaned forward. 

"He's right, Leia. You've got a story to tell, Lei, once this - all of this is - over... but you can't tell it from the bottom of a bottle, in a drug-fuelled haze or hiding in this studio."

Leia's lips parted, but no sound came out. She looked like a deer caught in headlights, her usual quick wit and sharp tongue failing her in the face of Adrian's unexpected approach.

"I said I'm sober," her voice eventually whispered, and Adrian knew that he'd gotten through to her.

"But were you planning to stay that way after reading that article this morning?"

The question hung in the air, heavy with implication and possibility. Leia's eyes darted around the room, from Adrian's determined stance to Riven's concerned expression, to the guitar in her hands.

The silence answered it.

"Thought so," Adrian murmured, Leia's eyes now refusing to meet his. 

He fiddled with his blazer pocket, reaching in and leaning across the table to place a small navy blue card in front of Leia. Her eyes dropped down, one shaking hand reaching out from behind the guitar and cautiously picking it up.

Adrian had given her the business card of an upstate rehabilitation centre. 

His message was clear: if she didn't choose to stay clean, he would make that choice for her.

___

Leia and Dylan sat in the blacked out car, the girl looking everywhere except at the man who hadn't taken his eyes off her. He was smirking more than normal, and the giddiness in his voice as he had greeted her that morning wasn't exactly ticking off any comforting boxes in her mind.

He either knew something, had something else he was about to try to blackmail her with, or was about to drop some sort of lore or information that she was sure would inevitably put her into a worse mood than she currently was in. He'd been sitting on it all afternoon while they'd been together - a pre-planned PR lunch with Thena and Riven in attendance. 

Leia's eyes darted around the vehicle's interior, desperately seeking anything to focus on besides Dylan's piercing gaze. The leather seats creaked softly as she shifted, her body instinctively trying to create as much distance as possible between them in the confined space.

Dylan, on the other hand, remained perfectly still, his posture relaxed and confident. His eyes never left Leia, drinking in every subtle change in her expression, every nervous twitch of her fingers. The corner of his mouth curled into a smirk, a predatory gleam in his eyes that sent shivers down Leia's spine.

Azul wasn't in the car with them.

He was only a car behind with Riven in the passenger seat next to him, and while she could see the black jeep when she craned her head around, it didn't do much to calm her nerves. The only reason she'd even allowed it, as had Azul, was the blonde woman that was sitting in the front and aggressively typing away on her phone. Leia still wasn't sure why Thena made her feel so fired up, but she at least knew that Dylan wouldn't lay a hand on her with the blonde in the car.

Words, however, weren't ruled out.

Dylan's fingers drummed lazily against his thigh, a rhythmic pattern that seemed to mock the frantic pace of Leia's thoughts. She bit her lip, not letting her own words fall out. Questions Leia longed to ask but didn't dare voice, accusations that burned on the tip of her tongue.

Dylan shifted slightly, causing Leia to tense involuntarily. Her reaction didn't go unnoticed, Dylan's smirk widening almost imperceptibly. He was revelling in her discomfort, drawing out the moment, savouring the power he held over her.

What new torment did Dylan have planned? What fresh hell was he about to unleash upon her already crumbling world?

"Saw your little girlfriend's night out videos," he eventually said.

Of course, Leia thought. Hit her when she's down.

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Oh, that's clear," Dylan mused, a light chuckle in his voice as he ignored the way Thena looked up from the front seat, her eyes flickering over them both before she went back to ignoring them. Dylan's driver paid no attention - or at least didn't show any sign he was listening. "She's been screwing that other guy, right? What's his name... John? Jake? Oh, Joe! It's always the J's."

Leia bit her tongue, trying to not let him see the anger he was building up within her.

"Guess you were pretty easy to move on from, huh?" He prodded, Leia clenching her fists. "Well, I mean I know you were for me. Hot and great in bed, but not much really worth settling down for... speaking from experience."

Leia's jaw clenched, her teeth grinding together as she fought to maintain her composure. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, a mixture of anger and humiliation threatening to overwhelm her. 

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" Dylan cooed, his voice dripping with false concern. "Cat got your tongue? Or are you just imagining all the ways Taylor's new boy toy is making her scream? I bet he knows exactly how to push all her buttons. Something you could never quite figure out, huh?"

The car hit a pothole, jostling its occupants. Leia used the moment of distraction to take a deep, steadying breath. 

"Honestly, blackmailing you is maybe the best thing I've done in my life. So much fun, watching you sit here and squirm. All this power and there's nothing you can fucking do about it."

She focused on the gentle hum of the engine, the faint scent of leather, anything to ground herself in the present and not let Dylan's words sink their poisonous claws into her psyche.

"You know, I always wondered what Taylor saw in you," Dylan continued, his tone still deceptively casual. "I mean, sure, you've got talent. But let's be honest, you were never really in her league, were you? Just a little nobody from nowhere, clinging to her coattails."

She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Always having to watch out for poor little Leia, making sure you didn't embarrass her or yourself. Must have been exhausting for her, don't you think?"

Thena cleared her throat loudly from the front seat, shooting Dylan a warning glance in the rearview mirror. He paused, chuckling softly before leaning back in his seat. But the brief reprieve was short-lived.

Dylan, sensing her Leia's resistance, leaned in closer, his breath hot against her ear.

"You know, since seeing those photos of the little Hudson, I've always wondered what it would be like to have both sisters at once. I bet Georgie's a real firecracker in the sack. Does she moan as prettily as you do?"

Leia's stomach churned, bile rising in her throat at the mention of her sister. Her fingernails dug into her palms, leaving crescent-shaped indentations in her skin. She could feel Dylan's eyes roving over her body, his gaze leaving a trail of invisible slime in its wake.

"Dylan, that's ENOUGH."

It wasn't Leia who had snapped.

Thena had twisted in her seat, a fire of anger burning on her face as her chest heaved a little, her interruption having shocked them all (and even Dylan's driver, judging by the slight swerve as her shout had made him jump).

Dylan's eyes were wide for a second, almost like a kid that had been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to, before they instantly narrowed and he slumped back in his seat. Leia held back a sigh of relief as he leaned away from her, the girl scooting as close to the other door as possible while Thena kept her gaze on her client.

After a moment, Dylan laughed, a harsh sound that grated on Leia's nerves. His eyes glinted with malicious amusement as he looked between Thena and Leia.

"Oh, come on now. I wasn't born yesterday," he sneered, his lips curling into a knowing smirk. "You two think you're so clever, don't you?"

Confusion clouded Leia's features, her brow furrowing as she glanced at Thena. The blonde woman's face remained impassive, but there was a hint of tension in the set of her jaw.

Dylan's eyes darted between them, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.

"I know you two are fucking each other behind my back."

The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Leia's mouth fell open, her eyes wide with shock and confusion. She turned to Thena again, expecting to see the same bewilderment mirrored on her face. Instead, she found Thena's expression had barely changed, her jaw still clenched tight.

Leia had never heard something so absolutely ridiculous. Her and Thena were certainly not doing anything of the sort. She wasn't even sure if she could tolerate the woman, let alone find herself in any form of intimacy with her and for him to even suggest such as thing was nothing short of absurd-

"How did you know about me and Leia?" Thena asked, her voice low and dangerous.

What. The Fuck.

Leia's head whipped back and forth between Thena and Dylan, her mind reeling. What was happening?

Dylan leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest, looking entirely too pleased with himself. 

"My security team is very thorough. They've been keeping tabs on all of Leia's... activities, you know, including your little secret rendezvous' after our meetings and late at night. Just protecting my investment."

Thena's eyes narrowed, her fingers gripping the edge of her seat so tightly her knuckles turned white. "You had no right-"

"I have every right," Dylan cut her off, his voice cold and sharp. "Leia belongs to me. Everything she does, everyone she sees - it's all my business."

Leia felt sick to her stomach. She wanted to scream, to tell Dylan he was insane, that she didn't belong to anyone. But the words caught in her throat as she glanced at Thena, still utterly baffled by the older woman's reaction.

Why was Thena lying? What game was she playing?

If she wasn't so confused as to what the hell was going on, Leia would have personally been phoning up the Oscar's and asking for the all the awards to just be given to the blonde. She didn't know why Thena was perpetuating this falsehood.

Leia opened her mouth to protest, to deny the absurd accusation, but something in Thena's eyes stopped her. 

A barely perceptible shake of the head, a silent plea to play along. So Leia clamped her mouth shut, her mind whirling with questions she couldn't voice.

Leia started to wonder if she had relapsed after reading that article and if this was just one really bad drug-induced hallucination.

She could only hope at this point.

___

Thena was standing in her living room.

Leia had bolted out of the car as soon as Azul had opened her door, ignoring the paparazzi that had for some reason decided today of all days was perfect for trying to get a photograph of her. That stupid article, no doubt. Thanks Tree.

Thena had followed her up. 

Leia was sure the press would have caught that, had they not been entertained by Dylan stepping out of the black car and heading straight over to his obnoxiously neon yellow sports car that had been parked outside of her apartment all morning. Leia had held herself back from making a comment about the fact it was a rental, knowing now wasn't the time to poke the bear.

Thena had walked behind her as she entered the apartment building, Azul and Riven not too far behind.

"What the hell was that?" Leia finally exploded, whirling to face Thena. Her voice trembled with a mixture of anger and confusion. "Why did you tell Dylan we were... that we're..."

She couldn't even bring herself to say the words, the absurdity of the situation making her head spin. 

"It was necessary," Thena replied, her tone maddeningly calm. "Dylan needed to believe he had leverage over both of us."

"By making him think we're sleeping together?" Leia scoffed, incredulity coloring her tone. "How does that help anything?"

She let out a bitter laugh, running her hands through her hair in frustration. 

"And leverage? He already has more than enough of that! In case you've forgotten, he's blackmailing me with photos of my sister!"

"Because it's the last thing he'd expect. It makes him question everything he thinks he knows about you, about me, about this whole situation."

Leia glanced at the collection of framed photos on the bookshelf – snapshots of happier times with friends, family, and Taylor. The sight sent a pang through her heart.

"I don't understand," Leia said finally, turning back to Thena. "These little meetings we've been having, the whispered conversations... I thought we were trying to figure out how to get me out of this mess. How does making Dylan think we're sleeping together and question us help anything?"

"It's just a part of the strategy-"

"What strategy?" Leia demanded, frustration colouring her voice. "You keep saying you can help me, that you have some plan, but you never actually tell me anything! Who are you really, Thena? What do you want?"

"Thena? Why are you here?" 

Leia spun on her heel, her jaw tensed as her eyes latched on to Georgie who had clearly came out of her room as soon as she heard the commotion. 

Leia's eyes darted between Georgie and Thena, her mind racing to process this new revelation. The tension in the room thickened, almost palpable in the air as Georgie's face paled, realizing her mistake.

"How do you know Thena?" Leia demanded, her voice barely above a whisper but sharp enough to cut through the silence. She took a step towards her sister, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides. "Georgie, how do you know who she is?"

Georgie and Thena had never met. Leia had made sure of it.

Georgie's mouth opened and closed, her eyes wide with panic. "I... I just... I mean, I've seen her around, you know? With you and..."

But Leia wasn't buying it. Her gaze swept the room, taking in the guilty expressions, the averted eyes. The pieces started falling into place, a picture forming that she didn't want to see.

At that moment, Riven and Azul walked in, freezing in their tracks as they sensed the charged atmosphere. Leia's head snapped towards them, her eyes narrowing as she observed their reactions.

Riven's face, usually so composed, betrayed a flicker of unease. Azul's jaw tightened, his hand instinctively moving towards his phone - a nervous habit Leia had noticed before.

"You," Leia said, her voice barely above a whisper as she turned back to Riven. "You knew her already. That first day, when you introduced us... it wasn't the first time you'd met."

Leia's gaze shifted to Azul, recalling the tension in his posture when Thena had first appeared in their lives. 

"And you," she continued, her voice gaining strength. "You were on edge that day. I thought it was just because of everything that was happening, but it wasn't, was it? You knew her too."

And now Georgie, her own sister, knew who Thena was.

Leia felt her world tilting on its axis, everything she thought she knew suddenly called into question. The room seemed to spin around her as her mind raced, connecting dots she hadn't even known existed.

"What's going on?" Leia asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked from face to face, searching for answers, for some explanation that would make sense of this surreal situation.

The silence that followed was deafening. Georgie looked like she wanted to sink into the floor. Riven and Azul exchanged worried glances. And Thena... Thena stood there, impassive as ever, watching Leia with those inscrutable eyes.

"You all know each other," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "You've all known each other this whole time."

"I didn't!" Georgie interrupted, the other three wincing as she accidentally broke first. "I only met her like three weeks ago-"

"Three weeks ago?" Leia's voice cracked, her eyes widening in disbelief. "You've known her for three weeks and didn't tell me?"

"Leia, please," Georgie pleaded, taking a step towards her sister. "We were trying to protect you! Adrian said-"

"Oh Adrian said? What? That you're all just trying to protect me?" Leia scoffed, backing away. "By lying to me? By conspiring behind my back?"

Her gaze swept across the room, taking in the guilty expressions on everyone's faces. Even Azul, usually so stoic, couldn't meet her eyes.

"How long?" Leia demanded, her voice trembling. "How long have you all been... what? Making decisions about my life without my knowledge?"

Riven opened his mouth to speak, but Thena held up a hand, silencing him.

"Since the beginning," Thena said calmly, her eyes never leaving Leia's face. "Since Dylan first contacted you with the blackmail."

That genuinely threw Leia off.

"You weren't Dylan's PR-"

"I know."

"Then tell me," Leia said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Who are you really, Thena? What's going on here?"

Thena took a deep breath, her eyes meeting Leia's with an intensity that made the younger woman shiver. Leia's heart pounded in her chest as she waited for Thena to continue. Whatever this revelation was, she had a feeling it was about to change everything.

As the words came tumbling out of the blonde woman's mouth, Leia had one phrase repeating in her head on repeat.

Oh shit.

.

.

.

.

.

i know we've not had much Taylor in the last few chaps!!! but i promise that'll be resolved soon.

any suggestions on who thena is and what she wants? or what they've been hiding?