Taylor Swift is, without question, one of the most famous people in the world. When she watches her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s football games, she spends nearly as much time on screen as him. Her Eras Tour was the first to make over $2 billion, and her fans gather in crushing numbers outside hotels and restaurants for the chance to see her in person. Her level of fame is a testament to her success, but it hasn’t always been easy for her to handle. 

Taylor Swift said dealing with fame has been a struggle until recently

While Swift is currently enjoying an unprecedented level of success, she has also known the harsher edge of public opinion.

“I’ve been raised up and down the flagpole of public opinion so many times in the last 20 years,” she told Time in 2023. “I’ve been given a tiara, then had it taken away.” 

She felt she was in a good place with her career, and felt, for the first time ever, ready to embrace the fame that came with her success.

“It feels like the breakthrough moment of my career, happening at 33,” she said. “And for the first time in my life, I was mentally tough enough to take what comes with that.” 

Taylor Swift shares how she deals with the pitfalls of fame

Swift has spoken about a difficult period in her life in which she faced public backlash following the release of a phone call between herself and Kanye West. Not long after, her album Reputation didn’t perform as well as she hoped. She said experiences like these have taught her that public adoration can turn to scorn very quickly.

“Nothing is permanent,” she said. “So I’m very careful to be grateful every second that I get to be doing this at this level, because I’ve had it taken away from me before.”

Swift said she has learned to deal with these challenges by continuing to make music.

“There is one thing I’ve learned: My response to anything that happens, good or bad, is to keep making things,” she said. “Keep making art.” 

She once shared how her level of celebrity changed her life

Over a decade ago, Swift had more difficulty grappling with fame.

“I fought the idea of having security for a very long time, because I really value normalcy,” she told Esquire in 2014, adding, “I really do. I like to be able to take a drive by myself. Haven’t done that in six years.”

She said that she couldn’t leave her house without having to interact with people. On days when she felt off, or simply wasn’t in the mood to socialize, she realized she just had to stay home.

“It’s a social situation every time I go out, but if I know I can’t deal with talking to people that day, I just don’t go out,” she said. “I just have to wake up in the morning and say, How am I feeling today? If someone asks for a picture, am I gonna feel imposed upon today because I’m dealing with my own stuff? Am I gonna take my own stuff out on some innocent 14-year-old today and be in a bad mood? Okay, maybe not … Maybe I won’t leave the house.”