It’s hard to say whether Taylor Swift and Dave Grohl as friends or foes is a more likely matchup.
There were initially friendly vibes between Swift and Grohl.
“I’m officially obsessed. She might want to get a restraining order because I’m all about Swift,” Grohl declared during a 2015 appearance at BBC Radio One’s “Big Weekend,” gushing over Swift who performed before him. “To my opening band, Taylor Swift. Taylor and the Swifts.”
Grohl, however, has since claimed Swift’s rabid fanbase pushed his daughter Violet Grohl to delete her social media profiles.
In January 2024, the 18-year-old Violet took to X and criticized Swift’s use of private jets. “Why can’t Taylor Swift just drive like everyone else,” she wrote at the time, meeting widespread backlash from Swifties on the social media platform.
Grohl has never confirmed that his sudden shift from Swift’s friend to becoming her foe is related to his daughter. However, the writing might just be on the wall with this one.
Keep scrolling for a timeline of Grohl’s friendship and subsequent feud with Swift:
October 2015
Grohl praised Swift during BBC Radio One’s “Big Weekend” after she performed ahead of the Foo Fighters.
June 2018
During an appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden, the Foo Fighters singer recalled being at Paul McCartney’s house for a party when Swift saved him from a potentially awkward situation.
“I wanted to leave early because I had to get my kids to the bus stop at 7:00 in the morning,” Grohl shared. “I said to my wife, ‘OK, 10:30 and we’re out.’ We go to split and right at 1:30 the party started getting really good and so Paul got up and started playing this song on piano and it was a new song. It was amazing to just sit in this living room and watch him play piano.”
McCartney then asked Grohl to “play a song.” The singer admitted he was “a little out of sorts” by the request when Swift stepped in.
“She saved my ass [and] gets up and starts playing this song and it sounds familiar,” he continued. “And she was playing the Foo Fighters song ‘Best of You.’”
September 2021
Grohl weighed in on Swift’s decision to rerecord her albums after Scooter Braun became the owner of her masters.
“F–k yeah, girl. Hell hath no fury. Now I’m scared of her!” he told Rolling Stone at the time. “I would be so nerdy and into it. I think it’s so much fun.”
June 2024
Years later, Grohl was performing on stage in London — on June 22, the same day as Swift — when he appeared to shade the singer.
“I know we were joking about the Taylor Swift tour earlier. I know that she’s on her Eras Tour. I’m telling you, man, you don’t want to suffer the wrath of Taylor Swift,” he said. “So we like to call our tour ‘The Errors Tour’ because I feel like we’ve had more than a few eras and more than a few f—king errors as well.”
Grohl added that the “errors” tour moniker was “because [they] actually play live,” alluding that Swift doesn’t.
Upon hearing Grohl’s comments, Swift appeared to respond at one of her shows the following night.
“Every one of my band members, every single one of our crew, my band who’s gonna be playing live for you for 3.5 hours tonight, they deserve this so much,” she said on stage. “And so does every one of my fellow performers. And you just gave that to us so generously, we will never forget it.”
August 2024
Grohl was asked about the Swift debacle while out in Los Angeles — and dodged the question.
“A lot of people online thought your statements on Taylor not playing live weren’t fair. Why do you think she doesn’t sing live?” a TMZ videographer asked as Grohl got into his car.
