Ice Spice has no time for the haters — especially those who are shading her friendship with Taylor Swift.
The rapper, 24, addressed the rumors that the “Anti-Hero” singer, 34, is using their bond for clout during a Thursday, July 25, interview with Rolling Stone.
“[It’s] so rude to me, [because] why would she not want to be my friend?” Spice asked the outlet. “Taylor f—ks with me. She’s so funny. I think our personalities mesh really well.”
Doubling down, Spice (real name Isis Naija Gaston) insisted the musicians are incredibly close, describing Swift as her “closest celebrity friend”.
Ice Spice Gives Sweet Shout-Out to Pal Taylor Swift at Coachella
Swift and Spice first teamed up in 2023 for a remix of Swift’s song ‘“Karma,” with the collaboration peaking at number two on the Billboard 100.
Following their collab, Swift has made no secret of the fact she’s just as fond of Spice. In the same interview with Rolling Stone, Swift praised Spice for her impressive business acumen.
“I love when I meet a new artist who takes a keen interest in not just the music, but the music industry and how it works,” the Tortured Poets Department artist told the publication.“Seeing Ice lean into the strategic, financial, and business aspects of her career is really exciting for me.”
It’s not the first time Swift has gushed over the “Princess Diana” singer. Swift told Variety in September 2023 that she can “relate” to Spice in “many ways.”
“She’s extremely professional without being cold. Playful and fun without ever taking her eye off the prize,” she explained. “She knows what is and isn’t ‘her’ and sets those boundaries with grace. She studies the industry and other artists’ careers but is very clear about charting her own definitive, original path. It’s her ability to carefully find that balance that impresses the hell out of me.”
While their friendship itself is rock-solid, Swift and Spice’s work hasn’t been without controversy.
Before she began dating Travis Kelce in summer 2023, Swift was briefly romantically linked to 1975 frontman Matt Healy. The rocker was embroiled in scandal involving Spice when he made disparaging remarks in February, 2023, about her body and ethnicity in an episode of podcast “The Adam Friedland Show.”
Months later, Swift and Spice released “Karma,” drawing ire from some fans who believed the remix was a metaphorical middle finger to Healy.
Spice, however, confirmed that Healy apologized, noting that she wasn’t as upset by the comments as others were.
“I actually was late as f—k to that,” she told RS of the incident.” I didn’t know about it until like a month after or something like that. He apologized multiple times, but I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was to other people. I feel like people just wanted something to be mad about, I guess. I wasn’t angry or sad or anything. I was just kind of confused. I never really cared about that.”
Revisiting Taylor Swift’s Relationship With The 1975’s Matty Healy
Spice and Swift, meanwhile, have become close friends outside of the Healy drama. They have often been spotted publicly at events together, including the 2023 MTV Awards and the 2024 Super Bowl, where Kelce’s team, the Kansas City Chiefs, defeated the San Francisco 49ers. Swift and Kelce, 34, also showed up at this year’s Coachella music festival to support Spice during her set.
When some audience members booed “Karma” for playing during her set at Austria’s Rolling Loud Music Festival earlier this month, Spice hit back at the haters by blowing them a kiss before shaking the moment off and continuing with her performance.
