Taylor Swift and Katy Perry’s Iconic Friendship and Feud: A Complete Timeline with Key Tweets and Moments

 

Perhaps the most talked-about breakup in pop music wasn’t with a boyfriend—but between two of the industry’s biggest stars: Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. What began as a budding friendship in the late 2000s turned into a years-long cold war sparked by backstage drama, rumored diss tracks, award show tension, and cryptic tweets.

Eventually, time (and a literal olive branch) helped the duo mend fences. By 2019, they were sharing the screen in Swift's "You Need to Calm Down" video. In 2024, Perry's appearance at Swift's Eras Tour in Sydney confirmed the two have not only reconciled—but are friends again.

Below is a complete timeline of Taylor Swift and Katy Perry’s iconic feud and ultimate friendship, including the tweets and moments that defined their relationship:

 September 2008: Fast Friends at the VMAs

Taylor and Katy were first snapped together at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, posing alongside Miley Cyrus. Both were rising stars—Swift had just dropped Fearless, and Perry was blowing up thanks to “I Kissed a Girl.”

February 2009: Grammy Night Out

The duo sat together at a pre-Grammys party for Clive Davis. That night, they joined Miley again for an iconic photo op.

July 2009: Let’s Write a Song?

In a now-deleted tweet, Swift gushed over Perry’s “Waking Up in Vegas” video and even joked about hanging a poster of Katy on her wall. Perry responded with, “You’re as sweet as pie! Let’s write a song together…”

Sadly, that duet never happened.

October 2009: Birthday Party Bonding

Swift tweeted after attending Perry’s birthday bash:

“@KatyPerry knows how to throw a birthday party! Party-licious. Best EVER.”

April 2010: Surprise On-Stage Collab

During her Fearless Tour, Swift invited Perry to join her onstage in L.A. to perform “Hot N Cold.”

Taylor tweeted: “Surprise guest: @katyperry!! We sang Hot N Cold and jumped up and down a lot.”

October 2010: Enter John Mayer

Swift’s song “Dear John” was rumored to be about her short-lived relationship with John Mayer—who, two years later, would go on to date Perry.

November 2011: Meredith the Cat & AMA Love

Katy tweeted about Taylor’s new kitten, Meredith:

“OH MY GOSH. Is this kitty for real?!?!”
Taylor replied:
“YES! …PS I miss you!”

Both attended the AMAs that year and posed happily backstage.

December 2013: Backup Dancer Drama

Perry allegedly poached dancers from Swift’s Red Tour for her Prism promo run. Dancer Lockhart Brownlie later said:

“We weren’t really dancing in Taylor’s tour anyway… Taylor is very untouchable.”

September 2014: “Bad Blood” Begins

In a Rolling Stone interview, Swift revealed her track “Bad Blood” was about a fellow pop star who “tried to sabotage a tour.”

Perry clapped back on Twitter:

“Watch out for the Regina George in sheep’s clothing…”

Fans quickly pieced it together: Katy and Taylor were officially not cool.

May 2015: “Bad Blood” Music Video Drops

Swift’s cinematic diss track featured her squad (including Selena Gomez as a possible Katy lookalike). It was a cultural moment.

July 2015: Twitter Wars & Minaj Involvement

Nicki Minaj called out the VMAs for snubbing “Anaconda.” Swift misinterpreted it as a diss and replied. Katy then tweeted:

“Finding it ironic to parade the pit women against other women argument as one unmeasurably capitalizes on the take down of a woman…”

Yikes.

July 2015: Left Shark Shade?

One of Taylor’s backup dancers dressed as a shark on stage—an apparent dig at Katy’s infamous “Left Shark” from the Super Bowl.

June 2017: “Swish Swish” vs. “Look What You Made Me Do”

Perry’s “Swish Swish” was widely seen as her Bad Blood response. Days after its release, Swift dropped her catalog back on Spotify, seemingly to steal the spotlight.

Then came “Look What You Made Me Do,” where Swift seemingly dressed like Perry, holding a Grammy—something Katy has never won.

May 2018: The Olive Branch

Before Swift’s Reputation Tour kicked off, Perry sent her an actual olive branch with a handwritten apology note. Swift posted it on Instagram:

“Thank you, Katy 💗”

June 2019: “Peace at Last” Cookies

Perry shared a photo of cookies baked by Swift reading “Peace at Last” with peace signs, tagging Swift and captioning:

“Feels good 🧡”

Swift replied with a flood of pink hearts. Days later, Perry appeared in Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down” music video—dressed as a hamburger, hugging Swift (in a fries costume).

July 2019: Perry on Their Truce

On radio, Katy explained their reconciliation:

“We should celebrate our commonality and our friendship… we just really want to be there for each other.”

March 2020: Friendly, But Busy

Perry told Stellar magazine:

“We don’t have a very close relationship because we’re very busy, but we text a lot.”

February 2024: Eras Tour Reunion

Perry attended Swift’s Eras Tour in Sydney, posting a sweet selfie and captioning:

“Got to see an old friend shine tonight ♥️✨”

She even sang along to “Bad Blood” — the same song that once symbolized their rift.

Final Thoughts

Taylor Swift and Katy Perry’s relationship has seen it all—friendship, feud, forgiveness, and full-circle moments. What makes their story resonate is how publicly (yet thoughtfully) they navigated personal conflict, making space for growth, humor, and reconciliation.

And if the olive branch and cookie peace talks proved anything—it’s that even pop queens can make amends.