Pharrell denies taking aim at Taylor Swift over her political endorsement

Pharrell Williams is setting the record straight after rumours spread that he had shaded Taylor Swift over her endorsement of Kamala Harris.

In his new GQ cover story as Designer of the Year published November 13, the Happy hitmaker, 51, firmly dismissed the idea as “some right-wing troll shit,” clarifying that his comments had nothing to do with Swift.

The rumour started when Williams shared in a previous Hollywood Reporter interview that he disliked when celebrities made political endorsements, calling it “self-righteous,” and telling them to “shut up!”

However, as he told GQ, the narrative was skewed to create drama.

“They pit you against each other,” Williams said, stressing his admiration for Swift. “I love Taylor. She knows that… I even bought a ‘1989’ Taylor T-shirt last year and was walking around with it tucked into my jeans. I love her.”

“I love people, bro,” he emphasised, rejecting any suggestion of animosity toward Swift as nothing more than a manufactured controversy.

Variety pointed out that the timeline also proves his comments weren’t aimed at Swift. His Hollywood Reporter interview was done well before Swift’s endorsement of Harris on September 11, and the cover story came out on September 12.