Swifties are spiraling and for good reason.
Taylor Swift’s newly revealed track list for The Life of a Showgirl has set the internet ablaze, and it’s not just because of the dazzling cover art or its October 3 release date. One song in particular is sending fans deep into theory territory: track six, titled Ruin the Friendship.
Now, many believe the song is a lyrical bullet aimed at former bestie Blake Lively and the timing couldn’t be more suspicious.
Fallout whispers turn into full-blown fan theories
For months, quiet rumors of a rift between Taylor and Blake have swirled. But things hit another level when Lively filed a bombshell lawsuit in December 2024 against director Justin Baldoni, producer Jamey Heath, their company Wayfarer Studios, and co-founder Steve Sarowitz, citing sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign — allegations they deny.
Taylor’s name entered the legal chaos in January. Baldoni’s legal team claimed she had pressured him to accept Lively’s script rewrites during production of It Ends with Us, the very film at the center of Lively’s suit. Though that complaint was later dismissed, it pulled Swift uncomfortably close to the courtroom drama.
The drama escalated after Baldoni’s team moved to subpoena Swift, but the request was later withdrawn. Still, according to court filings, his legal team continued to demand access to her communications with Lively, drawing even more scrutiny to the once-tight friendship.
Most recently, Judge Lewis J. Liman denied a motion from Lively seeking to block Baldoni’s team from accessing her conversations with Swift, paving the way for more scrutiny.
Fans think the lyrics will say what Taylor can’t
As soon as Swift posted the full track list on August 13, Swifties zeroed in on Ruin the Friendship and connected the dots fast. Between the legal tension and the visible silence between the two stars lately, the title alone felt like a loaded confession.
One fan posted, “Who else thinks Ruin the Friendship and CANCELLED! are about Blake Lively, Taylor Swift… please…” Brazilian TV host Didi Effe echoed the theory, writing, “I am CER-TAIN that Ruin The Friendship on Taylor Swift’s new album is about Blake Lively.”
Even Billy Bush weighed in during his Hot Mics podcast, saying: “I do think she will shade Blake Lively on her album. Why? Because Blake Lively is, after all, an ex. And she likes to talk about her exes. She’s an ex. She’s an ex bestie. … Her regret is falling out with Taylor Swift. Everybody wants to be in that Swiftie entourage.”
From tight-knit to total silence?
Just a year ago, Taylor and Blake were seen as inseparable. Their public support for each other, from family holidays to red carpet moments, was the stuff of fanfiction. But lately? Crickets.
Lively didn’t attend any Eras Tour shows. Swift hasn’t “liked” or commented on any of Blake’s posts. And in the world of Swiftie sleuthing, absence speaks volumes.
The speculation is only heating up as The Life of a Showgirl’s release nears. With other eyebrow-raising titles like The Fate of Ophelia, Elizabeth Taylor, and CANCELLED! on the list, fans are bracing for what could be Swift’s most personal, unfiltered record yet.
And if Ruin the Friendship turns out to be what people suspect? It might just be the song that confirms a friendship we never thought would break — already has.
