Nick Viall is coming to Brittany Mahomes’ defense after her new campaign for Kim Kardashian’s Skims has received backlash from Taylor Swift fans.
“I feel like people just need to back off because how do we even know that she did this campaign after her and Taylor became friends?” Viall, 43, questioned on the Tuesday, November 14, episode of his “The Viall Files” podcast. “There’s too many questions. Also, do we think Taylor even cares at this point?”
Mahomes, 28, has famously joined Swift’s star-studded friend group since the “Anti-Hero” singer began dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce last month. Given their friendship status, Swifties were upset that Brittany, her husband Patrick Mahomes, and their kids Sterling, 2, and Bronze, 11 months, appeared in Skim’s new holiday campaign as Kardashian, 43, is one of Swift’s most famous rivals.
In 2016, Kardashian famously shared a video of Swift, 33, permitting her ex-husband Kanye West to use her name in a lyric — which referred to her as “that bitch” — for his song “Famous” after Swift denied doing so. The Kardashians star proceeded to dub Swift a “snake,” a term the Grammy winner later reclaimed during her Reputation era the following year.
The full footage of the “Famous” phone call leaked in 2020, revealing that Swift was unaware of the context her name would be used within the song and declined West’s request to share the track via X (formerly Twitter). Kardashian, for her part, wrote in a lengthy X message that “nobody ever denied the word ‘bitch’ was used without her permission.”
On Tuesday, Viall noted that if Swift was truly upset about Brittany’s Skims ad, “she could distance herself” from the former soccer player. He went on to reveal that a friend of his who’s close with Swift believes she was quick to take Brittany in because they can relate to being criticized in the public eye.
Over the years, Brittany has received backlash from fans for her behavior online and at games, as well as for defending Patrick’s younger brother Jackson Mahomes after he was accused of forcibly kissing a restaurant owner in February. In May, Jackson was arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated battery and one count of misdemeanor battery and was released on $100,000 bond.
When it comes to who Swift picks to join her inner circle, Viall said he thinks she can be friends with people who “aren’t necessarily die-hard fans.” He explained: “She’s gonna be friends with people who she feels like are her equal, and maybe, Brittany Mahomes didn’t even know of this rivalry [with Kim]. Maybe she just got, like, a small talking to, like a, ‘Hey! No big deal, but like, that was kind of weird.’”
Viall wrapped up the discussion by questioning whether Swift and Kardashian have since made amends. “Maybe Kim has reached out behind the scenes and been like, ‘Yeah, sorry. I was just trying to be a good wife back in the day, and I kind of lost my way and I was just, kind of, Team Kanye back then,’” he stated. “But obviously, Kim has separated herself from Kanye, so we have no idea. So, before we start throwing grenades towards Brittany Mahomes, I think maybe we should just give her some grace and follow Taylor’s lead.”
The same year she and West, 46, split in 2021, Kardashian seemingly ended her and Swift’s feud by praising her music. “I really like a lot of her songs,” she said on the “Honestly With Bari Weiss” podcast. “They’re all super cute and catchy.”
