The photo featuring the two musicians hugging at the backstage is allegedly a 'damage control' effort from Taylor's team after she's accused of disrespecting the 'Power of Love' singer earlier that night.
- Feb 6, 2024
AceShowbiz - Apparently, there's more in Taylor Swift and Celine Dion's backstage photo at the 66th Grammy Awards. The photo featuring the stars hugging was allegedly a "damage control" effort from Taylor's team after she was accused of disrespecting Celine earlier that night.
Making the claims was Matthew Belloni, co-founder of the Puck digital media company. Speaking on his "The Town" podcast on Monday, February 5, he revealed, "I talked to someone backstage. The Taylor camp knew immediately this is a misstep."
He went on to say, "They were scrambling to get a photo of Taylor with Celine Dion, which they promptly put out, and that was damage control for the 'Celine Moment.' "
Matthew also criticized Taylor for using her speech when accepting the award for Best Pop Album for "Midnights" for a new album announcement. Calling the singer a "master manipulator and guider of her own image," he added, "This was a rare misstep, announcing the album during her speech. You could feel it in the room. No one was really clapping, except that section of Swifties who were going nuts."
"(The camera) panned to the stars, and nobody was really into it," Belloni continued. "It just felt like, this is the last person who needs that stage for promotion - at least in the room. She's the biggest music star on the planet right now. Like, give it a rest."
Bloomberg News entertainment reporter Lucas Shaw, who was the guest in the episode, additionally pointed out Taylor's "aw, shucks" look when she wins awards, calling it "total horse (expletive)." Matthew agreed, noting, "Maybe that works in 2010 when you're the girl from Nashville. It doesn't work in 2024 when you have (a billion-dollar) tour."
Taylor faced backlash online after she was deemed acting rude toward Celine, who presented the Album of the Year award to her at the Sunday, February 4 event. The "Anti-Hero" hitmaker, who made history by becoming the first artist to win the category four times, could be seen snatching the trophy from the "Power of Love" singer and that didn't sit well with the viewers.
Taylor then appeared to shrug off the allegations with a picture of her and the 55-year-old diva sharing a sweet moment backstage. The snap saw the two musicians sharing a laugh with the "Karma" singer wrapping her arms across Dion. She placed her hand on the "My Heart Will Go On" singer's shoulder as they leaned their heads against one another.
