--- title: Ed Sheeran: No Need to Defend Taylor Swift From Katy Perry description: Though close with Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran says he feels no need to defend his friend from Katy Perry in song. canonical: https://time.com/4823872/taylor-swift-katy-perry-ed-sheeran/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-06-19T17:18:26.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:47:30.319Z og:title: Taylor Swift Doesn't Need Defending From Katy Perry: Ed Sheeran og:description: Ed Sheeran won’t be wading into the Taylor Swift/Katy Perry feud anytime soon og:url: https://time.com/4823872/taylor-swift-katy-perry-ed-sheeran/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta38d0d0612524801/6988b7a1cd1bba38aa703c5e/taylor-swift-ed-sheeran.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2624 og:image:height: 1476 og:image:alt: The 58th GRAMMY Awards - Backstage And Audience og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Taylor Swift Doesn't Need Defending From Katy Perry: Ed Sheeran twitter:description: Ed Sheeran won’t be wading into the Taylor Swift/Katy Perry feud anytime soon twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta38d0d0612524801/6988b7a1cd1bba38aa703c5e/taylor-swift-ed-sheeran.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Taylor Swift Doesn't Need Defending From Katy Perry: Ed Sheeran > Sponsored content. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=f2b0b69d-1ff3-453d-a774-d84677eee7ba&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Katy Perry Reveals Exactly What Led to Her Taylor Swift Feud: 'She Started It' [Watch (HLS stream): Katy Perry Reveals Exactly What Led to Her Taylor Swift Feud: 'She Started It'](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/aEkUwbKN.m3u8) (1:33)  _Published 2017-05-23. Katy Perry is telling her side of the story as to what led to her feud with Taylor Swift_ by [Mary Park and Jordan Runtagh / People.com](https://time.com/author/people/) ## Mary Park and Jordan Runtagh / People.com Contributor Jun 19, 2017 5:18 PM UTC  Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift attends The 58th GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 15, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift attends The 58th GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 15, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. Kevin Mazur—Getty Images by [Mary Park and Jordan Runtagh / People.com](https://time.com/author/people/) ## Mary Park and Jordan Runtagh / People.com Contributor Jun 19, 2017 5:18 PM UTC [Ed Sheeran](http://people.com/tag/ed-sheeran/) won’t be wading into the [Taylor Swift/](http://people.com/tag/taylor-swift/)[Katy Perry](http://people.com/tag/katy-perry/) [feud](http://people.com/music/katy-perry-taylor-swift-quotes-about-each-other/) anytime soon. Perry recently made waves recently for appearing to [take aim at Swift in her song “Swish Swish,”](http://people.com/music/katy-perry-swish-swish/) apparent retaliation for Swift’s 2014 track, “Bad Blood.” Though close with Swift, Sheeran says he feels no need to defend his friend in song. “I don’t think she needs that at all,” the “Shape of You” singer, 26, told PEOPLE at the 2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame 48th Annual Induction and Awards Gala at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on Thursday night. What does the honoree of the Hal David Starlight Award think about the current trend of diss tracks? “I don’t think feud songs are a hot thing—there’s always been beef songs.” A famous example? “It’s mainly been like Carly Simon,” the British singer-songwriter said. In 2015, Simon revealed that the second verse of her legendary revenge track [“You’re So Vain” is about Warren Beatty](http://people.com/books/carly-simon-says-youre-so-vain-second-verse-is-about-warren-beatty/). Was there a frenzied response when Sheeran penned and performed a musical attack? “I’ve done feud songs before but no one cares about them!” he told PEOPLE with a laugh. Sheeran’s extra fire power might not even be necessary, because Perry, 32, has apparently squashed her beef with Swift, 27, once and for all. “I forgive her and I’m sorry for anything I ever did, and I hope the same from her,” [she told _Thrive_ CEO Arianna Huffington](http://people.com/celebrity/katy-perry-taylor-swift-forgives-feud/) last week. “I love her, and I want the best for her. And I think she’s a fantastic songwriter.” During a performance of “Swish Swish” on Monday, [Perry appeared to bless Swift in her lyrics](http://people.com/music/katy-perry-responds-taylor-swift-release-catalog/). Instead of singing the line, “Don’t you come for me,” in the first verse, Perry sang: “God bless you on your journey, oh baby girl.” _This_ [_article_](http://people.com/music/ed-sheeran-taylor-swift-doesnt-need-to-be-defended-katy-perry-feud/) _originally appeared on_ [_People.com_](http://people.com) ## Transcript The war of words. Well, it's just heating up, guys, between Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. Katy Perry is sharing her side of the story about her and Taylor's epic feud. Now she told James Corden. The nearly three year long feud, that's a long time, was all over, get this, backup dancers. On the carpool karaoke primetime special she said, quote, there's a situation. Honestly, it's like she started it. And it's time for her to finish it, ooh. Perry went on to tell the Late Later Show host that the rivalry started over three back up dancers, and that she tried to talk to Swift about it, but Swift wouldn't speak to her. Going on to say, quote, it was a full shutdown, and then she writes a song about me, and I'm like, okay, cool, cool That's how you wanna deal with it? Karma, ouch. Now Corden asked Perry if the feud will ever end. And the Swish, Swish singer responded that she's ready for that, quote, BS to be done with. I know ladies, why can't we all get along? Saying that she wants women together and not divided [ MUSIC ] And by listeners and by fans. 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