Lorne Michaels recently revealed an interesting behind-the-scenes story about Taylor Swift and Saturday Night Live. In 2015, Swift was offered a sketch on SNL that humorously spoofed her “girl squad” from the Bad Blood music video, reimagining the squad as an apocalyptic cult called the “Dope Squad.” However, Swift wasn’t keen on the idea and reached out to Michaels personally, asking him to cancel the sketch.
Despite her request, Michaels stood his ground and refused, famously telling Swift, “I do not negotiate with terrorists.” The sketch, which aired in 2015, featured Tina Fey and Amy Poehler leading the “Dope Squad” with cameos from other celebrities like Amy Schumer and Gayle King.
Though initially upset, Swift later appeared to take the joke in stride. After the skit aired, she sent Michaels a bouquet with a playful note that read, “I hope there’s no bad blood,” signaling a lighthearted reconciliation. This incident didn’t seem to harm her relationship with SNL, as she has continued to appear on the show, including as a musical guest multiple times and even making a surprise cameo in 2023 during Ice Spice’s performance.
The entire episode highlights Swift’s ability to laugh at herself and take a joke, despite her initial reservations about the parody.