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Taylor Swift Is Being Sued Over The Line "Haters Gonna Hate"

Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images.
Taylor Swift can't catch a break from legal battles. Fresh off her victory countersuing radio host David Mueller for a symbolic $1 after he claimed she ruined his career and reputation when she said he groped her at a meet and greet in 2013, the 27-year-old is facing another lawsuit. Stereogum reports via TMZ that the writers behind 3LW’s 2001 song "Playas Gon’ Play" are suing Swift, claiming she ripped off their lyrics in her 2014 single "Shake It Off."
Sean Hall and Nathan Butler are pointing to the similarities between their lyric, "The playas gon’ play/ Them haters gonna hate," with Swift's "Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play/ And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate." Previously, Hall and Butler have worked with other prominent artists like Backstreet Boys, Justin Bieber, and Pink. They're suing for 20% of the song, which translates to a lot of money.
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In a statement to People, however, Swift's rep says they're not worried:
"This is a ridiculous claim and nothing more than a money grab. The law is simple and clear. They do not have a case."
Swift is fortunate that she has a strong team that can support her in fighting this suit, a privilege she acknowledged after the resolution of the sexual assault case.
"I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this," she said in a statement. "My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard. Therefore, I will be making donations in the near future to multiple organisations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves."
When it comes to this lawsuit, however, everything is still unfolding. You can compare the two songs in question here and here.
Refinery29 has reached out to Swift's team for comment and will update the story if we hear back.
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Sometimes the internet brings people together. There are GoFundMe drives to assist people who get stuck in a window, apps that can authenticate designer bags, and Chrissy Teigen's Twitter account. Unfortunately, this video is definitely one of the more divisive things we've seen recently.
It's a video mashup of Game of Thrones and Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do."In it, the citizens of Westeros sing out Swift's already-eponymous clapback jam. All the usual suspects are there: the Starks, the Lannisters, and a surprise appearance by the first Daario Naharis.
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The mashup makes sense, given that many characters presumably have a lot of feelings about their enemies. And the whole underpinning of "Look What You Made Me Do" is about turning a mirror on your criticism, real or perceived. We can think of a lot of Game of Thrones characters who'd like to say "maybe I got mine/but you'll all get yours." Like, for example, Sansa Stark's smile as she listen to Ramsey Bolton being eaten alive by his own bloodthirsty hounds.
Even some long-dead characters get into the karaoke groove. Joffrey, Shae, and King Robert Baratheon all sing a part of the song. Ros and Margaery Tyrell also make an appearance — two characters who deserved so, so much better.
Video creator Matthijs Vlot has made a few other video mashups, but this one is something else. One thing is true: even our friends in Westeros listen to popular music. "Look What You Made Me Do" has skyrocketed up the Billboard Hot 100 charts from its debut at #77 to #1, where it knocked "Despacito" off its near record-breaking 16-week stay at the top. Taylor Swift has come for the #1 throne. We can definitely see Cersei blasting this song while she's getting dressed in the morning.
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