Emma Stone Apologized After Receiving Blowback for Her Quip About Taylor Swift Being a ‘A-Hole’

Alongside Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone said in a recent interview that she faced criticism from Swifties for referring to the singer as an 'a–hole' backstage in January. Taylor Swift was spotted loudly clapping and praising her pal Stone as she accepted the Best Feature Actress in a Comedy or Musical award for Poor Things during the Golden Globes ceremony. Later, Stone made jokes with the press, "I’ve known her for almost 20 years. I was very happy she was there and she was also nominated tonight, which was wonderful. And yes, what an a**hole."

Stone said in a Variety story that she felt bad about joking about the 14-time Grammy winner. The actress said, "I definitely won't make a joke like that again, because I saw headlines that really pulled it out of context." Swift and Stone have been spotted together many times, demonstrating their long-standing friendship. Some admirers went so far as to think that her song When Emma Falls in Love is a tribute to her lifelong friend because of how far they pushed their relationship. Swift's fan base, known as the "Swifties," hasn't spent any time speculating about why they think the 18th track is about the La La Land Oscar winner since the album's July 2023 release.

Swift was a candidate for a Golden Globe, while Stone took up the prize for her performance as Bella Baxter in the quirky comedy. Swift's Eras Tour film was nominated for the newly created Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category, even though the award was ultimately given to Barbie.

Although Stone has not discussed her friendship with Swift much, in June 2023, she told Vanity Fair that the singer of Anti-Hero had assisted her in getting tickets to an Eras Tour performance. She said at the time, "I was lucky ’cause we’ve been friends for a really long time. I’ve known her since we were 17 and 18, so she hooked me up, which was very nice ’cause I know those tickets are impossible to get. She’s a wonderful friend."

Since their 2008 Young Hollywood Awards meeting, Swift and Stone have remained pals. Over the years, they have attended several events together, with Swift also providing support to Stone at the December 2023 New York premiere of Poor Things. 

As such, it's worth noting that Stone's quip was prompted by backlash to first-time Golden Globes presenter Jo Koy's less-than-sarcastic remark about Swift. During his opening monologue, Koy made fun of the 34-year-old singer and the NFL, saying, "As you know, we came on after a football doubleheader. The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? At the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift." After that, the camera moved to Swift, who seemed bored as she drank her wine. Swifties quickly defended her on social media. In an interview with Extra after the Golden Globes, Koy addressed the criticism, saying the joke was intended as a 'compliment.'