Pop superstar Taylor Swift found herself at the centre of controversy during the Super Bowl, as Philadelphia Eagles fans greeted her with icy 'boos' while she attended the game to support her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs’ star Travis Kelce.
This incident sparked an unexpected reaction among Indian fans, who drew comparisons between Swift and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, who has faced similar treatment in the past due to her relationship with cricketer Virat Kohli.
Swift, who has been a frequent presence at NFL games this season, was shown on the stadium’s videoboard alongside rapper Ice Spice during the first quarter. As soon as her face appeared, a chorus of boos echoed through the crowd. Though the singer reacted with a subtle side-eye, confused at the sudden reaction, the moment quickly went viral online.
The situation reminded many Indian fans of the scrutiny faced by Anushka Sharma, who was often unfairly blamed for Kohli’s on-field performances. Indian Swifties took to social media to highlight the parallel, with one user tweeting, "Oh, so Super Bowl is IPL final, and Taylor Swift is Anushka Sharma (hypothetically, of course).”
Another user commented, "Men are so emotional but in the dumbest ways!!! Saw it happen with Anushka and now Taylor." Others pointed out the ingrained misogyny behind such reactions, with one writing, "That's how disgusting fan bases are… Anushka Sharma was harassed online by Indian fans just because Virat Kohli was underperforming. She even had to stop attending games. Now, conservatives have found a new reason to hate Taylor.”
The comparisons didn’t stop there. Another user remarked, "Anushka got trolled due to Virat’s failure. Taylor Swift is now on the receiving end because of Travis Kelce. Some things never change." A popular tweet humorously noted, "Anushka ran so Taylor could walk."
Not everyone commenting was a Swift fan, but the unfair treatment resonated with many. One user summed up the sentiment, saying, "Not a fan of Taylor Swift, but it's weird seeing all these men blaming her for her boyfriend’s team’s loss. The same thing happens here—whenever Kohli performs badly, they put the blame on Anushka. Stop with this misogyny; it's not their fault."
Besides the fans, US President Donald Trump also took a swipe at the singer, in a tweet that read, "The only one that had a tougher night than the Kansas City Chiefs was Taylor Swift,” Trump posted on social media.
“She got BOOED out of the Stadium. MAGA is very unforgiving!”
