“Just back off”: That Time Michael J. Fox’s Ugly Words for Taylor Swift Led to a Global Swifties Retaliation

Michael J. Fox had to learn it the hard way.

"Just back off": That Time Michael J. Fox's Ugly Words for Taylor Swift Led to a Global Swifties Retaliation

SUMMARY

  • Taylor Swift's fans gave Michael J. Fox a hard time after he spoke against her back in 2013.
  • Fox eventually apologized to the pop icon after facing the wrath of her fandom.
  • The actor's opinion of the singer has changed drastically over the years, as he recently praised the singer for her impact on the world.
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Throughout her illustrious run in the realm of music, Taylor Swift has cemented herself as one of, if not the biggest pop icon of the 21st century and has amassed an enormous following. But like every massive fandom, a part of the Swifties community is toxic as well, who often go out of their way to retaliate against anyone who dares to speak ill of the Cats star.

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Michael J. Fox, whose opinion of Swift has changed drastically over the years, once found himself amidst heavy fire from the Swifties in 2013 following his initial remarks on the pop icon.

Michael J. Fox Was Against the Idea of Taylor Swift Dating His Son

Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly in Back to The Future
Michael J. Fox | Credit: Back to The Future (via Universal Pictures)

While by 2013, Taylor Swift was already a huge icon in the music industry, Michael J. Fox had little knowledge about her. Fox was only aware of the fact that The Tortured Poets Department singer’s works revolved around her past break-ups.

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So, when the actor was asked about his stance on the possibility of Swift dating his son after Tina Fey jokingly warned her to stay away from Sam Michael Fox at the Golden Globes, he didn’t entertain the idea.

Taylor Swift | Wikimedia Commons
Taylor Swift | Wikimedia Commons

He told Vulture:

“No. No … Just back off. I don’t keep up with it all. But Taylor Swift writes songs about everybody she goes out with, right?” Right! What a way to build a career.”

Unsurprisingly, this didn’t sit well with the Swifties and all hell broke loose, and during his recent visit to the Late Show with David Letterman, Fox recalled being bombarded by the fandom on Twitter.

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Michael J. Fox’s Statements Came to Bite Him Later

Although initially indifferent to Taylor’s achievements, the Back to the Future star has gone on to become a huge admirer of her work following the singer’s impact on her fans and the world.

Speaking to People Magazine, the actor even referenced her impact on the global economics, stating,

 “I think she’s going to be a really important person. I think she moves economies, she changes the way the world works, and that’s amazing,”

But before his opinion on the pop icon changed, the actor recalled facing the wrath of Swifties online following his statements back in 2013, even joking that his daughter was in it too. However, things did cool down after the Family Ties star apologized to Swift, with Fox advising “Don’t piss off Taylor Swift”.

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Michael J. Fox | Wikimedia Commons
Michael J. Fox | Wikimedia Commons

He said:

“Hellfire rained down upon me, I had… every teen in America was twittering me and tweeting me and were really angry… And then I apologized profusely to Taylor… and she forgave me and she called off the pack”

Such a toxic portion of fandom isn’t just exclusive to Taylor Swift, as both sports and showbiz suffer from the same issue, with Snydervse and Star Wars being some major examples. But often they’re the vocal minority, and the entire fanbase shouldn’t be judged because of them.

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Written by Santanu Roy

Articles Published: 1402

Santanu Roy is a film enthusiast with a deep love for the medium of animation while also being obsessed with The Everly Brothers, Billy Joel, and The Platters. Having expertise in everything related to Batman, Santanu spends most of his time watching and learning films, with Martin Scorsese and Park Chan-wook being his personal favorites. Apart from pursuing a degree in animation, he also possesses a deep fondness for narrative-driven games and is currently a writer at Fandomwire with over 1000 articles.