Screenshot of Taylor Swift from her appearance on 'Late Night With Seth Meyers' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Late Night With Seth Meyers)
Following the release of Taylor Swift's 10th studio album, Midnights, in 2022, fans were dissecting each song's lyrics in an attempt to deduce the possible subjects. Taylor Swift's high school years were revealed by a TikTok user named Jessica McLane, who claimed to be a former classmate at Hendersonville High School in Tennessee.
In her TikTok video, McLane claimed, "I went to the same high school as Taylor Swift, we grew up in the same town." She further added, "In 2006, I'm a freshman in high school. Taylor is I think a junior. Teardrops on my Guitar had just come out I think over the summer. She got really big, and that's the year that she left school and got homeschooled." McLane said that the majority of Swift's classmates "hated her" when she started to become "super successful." According to McLane, these people weren't just internet users but friends who had followed the singer's journey. McLane acknowledged that envy was a major contributing factor to the unfavorable attitudes, particularly given their proximity to Nashville, a mecca for budding singers.
McLane clarified that unfounded accusations were circulating regarding Swift's musical career, claiming that she purchased her notoriety. She jokingly added, "She was literally 16, 17, leaving high school to pursue a career that people were telling her that she could never have. Also, the guys she was writing these songs about, were still in school. They were still there. And now they have a hit song about them talking about what a s-tty boyfriend they are."
In a follow-up video, McLane stands by her allegation that Swift suffered hostility because of her rising fame, reiterating that her assertions are based on her views and experiences. Although she acknowledged that she didn't know Swift directly, she highlighted her relationship with Swift's classmates. Additionally, according to the TikTok user, Swift invited every member of their senior class to the 2009 Country Music Association Awards (CMAs). Even though McLane didn't know why she was invited, she admits that it was an amazing event even if it was unexpected. She added, "Y'all, she invited us to the CMAs to say f*ck you. And we deserved it. So to Taylor: touché, that was a good one."
McLane also shared a video of herself flaunting her yearbooks when someone brought up the fact that she had not given any proof of her assertions. She shared with her fans her Henderson High School yearbooks from 2006-2007, which corresponded to her freshman year, and 2009-2010, which corresponded to her senior year and the year she supposedly attended the CMAs. Swift began homeschooling at that time, and McLane claimed that's why she didn't include her in the yearbook -- she dropped out before photo day. She did, however, share another video online demonstrating that she was able to locate the up-and-coming pop artist in a picture collage.