Pharrell Williams made headlines in September when many speculated he dissed Taylor Swift following her endorsement of Kamala Harris for president.
However, it seems Pharrell did no such thing. The multi-talented artist clarified that his comments about celebrity endorsements being “annoying sometimes” were not directed at Swift.
In a new GQ cover story, Skateboard P explained, “They pit you against each other. I love Taylor. She knows that.”
Pharrell’s remarks to The Hollywood Reporter were published on Sept. 11, two days after Taylor showed her support for Harris. In his comments, he didn’t mention Swift by name.
“I love her,” Pharrell added. “That was some right-wing troll shit.”
In September, he told The Hollywood Reporter that he doesn’t “do politics.” He explained: “There are celebrities that I respect that have an opinion, but not all of them. I’m one of them people [who says], ‘What the heck? Shut up. Nobody asked you.’”
He continued, “When people get out there and get self-righteous and they roll up their sleeves and shit, and they are out there walking around with a placard: ‘Shut up!’ So, no, I would rather stay out of the way, and obviously, I’m going to vote how I’m going to vote. I care about my people and I care about the country, but I feel there’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and I’m really about the action.”
When chatting with GQ, Williams expounded on his political point of view, saying that he doesn’t have to explain his politics to anyone.
“I actually do stand for something, of course, but I don’t have to share it with you. Who are you that I need to report to you what I feel? What if I don’t like either of your choices? What if I love people? What if I’m not a war person, I’m not a fighter?”
He added, “I don’t have to share my discourse with you. I stand for my ability to remain silent. I’m all about action. I’ve donated, I’ve volunteered, but I don’t need to show you and I don’t have to tell you.
Just days before Pharrell’s comments, Swift took to Instagram to encourage her fans to vote. She also praised Harris for being a “gifted leader” and “warrior” for causes including LGBTQ+ rights and women’s reproductive freedoms.