TORONTO -- Taylor Swift鈥檚 new Netflix documentary offers an intimate look at the popstar鈥檚 life, including the torrent of bad press she鈥檚 received over the years.
But a Montreal newspaper is calling out the film for including one of its stories and doctoring it to make it appear as if they wanted Swift to 鈥渄isappear鈥 when, in fact, the article said no such thing.
A story from the Montreal Gazette appears about 35 minutes into 鈥淢iss Americana.鈥 The headline reads 鈥淎 talent to annoy鈥 with a photo of Swift. The subtitle: 鈥淵ou know all those things you wish would disappear but won鈥檛? Us too.鈥 However, the text of the article is blurred, and the subtitle is cut off.
the Montreal Gazette clarified that the story, written by an Associated Press reporter, was not about hoping Taylor Swift or her career would vanish. Rather, the article鈥檚 author was compiling a list of cultural trends she wanted to see end in 2017. Among those things: the style of shoulder-baring shirt Swift is seen wearing in the image.
A caption below the image 鈥 also blurred in the documentary 鈥 reads 鈥淭rends that should disappear after 2017, according to Leanne Italie, include cold-shoulder clothing, as sported by Taylor Swift, unicorn everything 鈥 including Starbucks鈥 obnoxious Frappuccino 鈥 and spiralized vegetables. If you want pasta, just eat pasta.鈥
Invoking some of Swift鈥檚 popular lyrics, the Gazette wrote that it hopes the clarification 鈥渕eans we鈥檙e out of the woods with Swifties; we wouldn鈥檛 want any bad blood.鈥
CTV News has reached out to Taylor Swift鈥檚 team. This story will be updated in the event of a response.
The misleading headline image appears at an emotional peak in the film as Swift recounts why she vanished from public life for a year. In 2016, showing her husband, Kanye West, seeking Swift鈥檚 approval to use Swift鈥檚 name on his song, 鈥淔amous.鈥
In the song, West raps that he feels he and Taylor 鈥渕ight still have sex鈥 and says he 鈥渕ade that b**** famous.鈥
Kardashian West鈥檚 video appeared to catch Swift in a lie. Swift鈥檚 team had previously said West had not asked her about the lyrics but wanted Swift to promote the song on her Twitter account.
In the documentary, Swift recalls the fallout from the scandal and how difficult it was to cope with the onslaught of negative reactions.
鈥淲hen people decided I was wicked and evil and conniving and not a good person, that was the one I couldn鈥檛 really bounce back from, because my whole life was centred around it. #TaylorSwiftIsOverParty was the number one trend on Twitter worldwide. Do you know how many people have to be tweeting that they hate you for that to happen?鈥 she said.
Swift later capitalized on the scandal in her 2017 album Reputation, which was riddled with coded references to the long-running spat.
Swift and West have had a rocky relationship since 2009, when West interrupted Swift鈥檚 acceptance speech for best female video at the MTV Video Awards and said Beyonce deserved to win.
