Nearly every celebrity who hits the peak of fame gets accused of being connected to the Illuminati. From Kanye West and Rihanna to Beyoncé, LeBron James, Kim Kardashian, and Donald Trump, fans are convinced there’s a secret society of the rich and famous plotting to take over the world. Naturally, Swift, given her stature, is a clear shoo-in. It certainly doesn’t help that part of her brand revolves around the number 13.
Swift is famously obsessed with the not-so-lucky number 13 and has woven it into her persona. “I was born on the 13th. I turned 13 on Friday the 13th. My first album went gold in 13 weeks. My first No. 1 song had a 13-second intro,” she shared in an interview with Jay Leno in 2009. “Every time I’ve won an award I’ve been seated in either the 13th seat, the 13th row, the 13th section or row M, which is the 13th letter.” And since the number 13 is significant in Illuminati lore, well, you can see where this is going.
To add to the craziness, there’s a theory that Kanye West initiated her into this secret society. Apparently, humiliation is a rite of passage, and West delivered it at the 2009 VMAs by interrupting her acceptance speech to declare that Beyoncé deserved the award. West, however, denied any Illuminati ties, and Swift, well, she just genuinely loves the number 13. “I’m tired of people pinpointing musicians as the Illuminati,” the rapper once wrote in a piece for Paper. “That’s ridiculous. We don’t run anything; we’re celebrities.”
