Taylor Swift has been the target of some of the funniest—and scariest—pranks by former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. One of the earliest pranks happened back in 2009. DeGeneres sent Swift to a fake dressing room and told her to check something in the bathroom. When Swift walked in, DeGeneres jumped out to scare her, and the pop star was so startled that she literally fell to the floor in shock.
Later, during an interview where they both reflected on the hilarious moment, DeGeneres called it one of the best pranks she ever pulled on the show. Swift, still laughing, jokingly called it “a near-death experience.” She even added, “There were several ways I could’ve died,” exaggerating for effect.
DeGeneres playfully teased her about being dramatic, but Swift wasn’t done yet. After watching the prank clip again, Swift noticed something funny about DeGeneres’ laugh. She joked that she loved it so much she sometimes found herself imitating it. Swift even challenged the audience to rewatch the prank on YouTube, asking them to listen for DeGeneres’ quirky laugh. “If you go back and watch it, listen for her laugh, and then who will be the one embarrassed? Not the one on the ground,” Swift said, making fun of the whole situation while having a good laugh at DeGeneres’ expense.
It’s clear that even though she was the victim of the prank, Swift can laugh about it now—and maybe even poke fun at the way DeGeneres gets her own laughs!