Taylor Swift Brought Back The Squad For Her 30th Bday, But An Old-School Face Was Missing

Taylor Swift celebrated her 30th birthday with her most on-brand party yet: there were cats on a cake, multiple Christmas trees, and the return of her famous #squad style friend photos that included everyone from Jonathan Van Ness to Gigi Hadid. But many fans (and #Kaylor conspiracy theorists) noticed that Karlie Kloss was missing from Swift’s many Instagram photos — and she didn’t even wish Swift a happy birthday this year on Instagram. 

The night of Swift’s birthday, she performed at Z100’s Jingle Ball before heading to New York’s Oscar Wilde restaurant for a Christmas-themed bash. “Spending my 30th with the fans who have made my life what it is at [Jingle Ball,] then throwing the most aggressive holiday party known to womankind... I just.. seriously feel so lucky for you all and will spend forever trying to find ways to say thank you,” she wrote on Instagram. 

Kloss, however, was at a holiday party of her own with her Kode With Klossy coworkers. “HAPPY HOLIDAYS from our Kloffice to yours,” she wrote. 

Kloss’ party could have been planned before Swift’s — after all, some of Swift’s friends, including Selena Gomez and Cara Delevingne, were also missing from the festivities. But this could also be a sign that, after a close friendship that began in 2012 and spanned Victoria’s Secret Fashion Shows, road trips, and many well-publicized cookie-baking adventures, Kloss and Swift are done for good.

It isn’t clear if the friendship has ended, but fans suspect they hit a breaking point when the entire entertainment industry started choosing sides during Swift’s feud with Scooter Braun — who manages Kloss. Perez Hilton speculated on Twitter that Kloss had been “telling things about [Taylor] and her career to Scooter,” and Ashley Avignone, a friend of Swift’s, seemed to confirm this by liking the tweet. 

Swift might have left Kloss behind with the old Taylor, but one thing is certain: as she rings in her new decade, Swift isn’t short on support and friendship. On Thursday, Swift was honoured with the Billboard Woman of the Decade award, and she used her speech to thank the women who stood by her throughout the Braun ordeal.

“The most amazing thing was to discover that it would be the women in our industry who would have my back and show me the most vocal support at one of the most difficult times. I will never, ever forget it," she said. “Like, ever.”