No more “Bad Blood.” Lorne Michaels claims Taylor Swift once asked him to 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 a “Saturday Night Live” sketch that poked fun at the singer’s “girl squad” — but he stood his ground and refused.
In a new interview with Vulture, the “SNL” creator recalled the time he contacted Swift’s management team with a request for the pop superstar to make a surprise cameo on the show. The sketch he wanted Swift for would be a spoof of her “Bad Blood” music video, reimagined as an apocalyptic cult in 2015.
Lorne Michaels says Taylor Swift once asked him to a cut a sketch on “Saturday Night Live,” but he refused.YouTube/@SaturdayNightLive
The skit was a play on Swift’s 2015 “Bad Blood” music video, which featured members of her girl squad.YouTube/Taylor Swift
Michaels, 80, claimed that Swift, 35, subsequently called him directly and asked him to cut the sketch, while also telling him she would not be making a cameo.
Michaels told the outlet that he listened to Swift’s points, but he ultimately decided that he wanted to do the sketch anyway.
Swift, who has appeared on “SNL” multiple times, called the show’s creator directly with the request.NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Michaels wouldn’t cut the sketch, telling the pop star, “I do not negotiate with terrorists.”WireImage
“Taylor, I do not negotiate with terrorists,” Michaels allegedly told her at the time.
After the sketch aired, Michaels received a bouquet of flowers in his office from the “Cruel Summer” singer.
“I hope there’s no bad blood,” Swift wrote on the note.
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were two of the comedians who starred in the “Dope Squad” sketch, which aired in 2015.YouTube/@SaturdayNightLive
The original “Bad Blood” music video was reimagined as an apocalyptic cult.YouTube/Taylor Swift
While Swift initially didn’t want the sketch to air, she eventually came around.YouTube/Taylor Swift
The Grammy winner sent Michaels flowers with a note that read, “I hope there’s no bad blood.”YouTube/@SaturdayNightLive
Both Michaels and Swift seemed to take the sentiment to heart, since Swift appeared as show’s musical guest in 2017, 2019 and 2021.
She also made a surprise cameo to introduce Ice Spice as the musical guest in 2023.
The “Bad Blood” spoof starred Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as they formed their “Dope Squad” with guests Amy Schumer, Gayle King and Robert Downey Sr.
Fey and Poehler’s squad included Amy Schumer and Gayle King.YouTube/@SaturdayNightLive
Meanwhile, Swift’s famous music video featured Zendaya, Gigi Hadid and Martha Hunt, as pictured here.YouTube/Taylor Swift
Swift famously introduced her A-list “squad” as fictional female characters facing off against each other in a futuristic world in the 2015 music video.
Her longtime friend Selena Gomez played her nemesis, while Zendaya, Gigi Hadid, Cara Delevingne, Karlie Kloss and Ellie Goulding snagged bigger roles.
Lena Dunham, Jessica Alba, Hailee Steinfeld, Serayah, Martha Hunt, Hayley Williams, Lily Aldridge, Mariska Hargitay, Ellen Pompeo and Cindy Crawford also appeared in the hit music video.
