'LIX my b*lls': Did C.J. Gardner-Johnson go too far? Taylor Swift feud reignites over NSFW shirt and Kayla Nicole jab
C.J. Gardner-Johnson isn't backing down from his headline-grabbing feud with Taylor Swift and her devoted fanbase. From mocking Travis Kelce's ex to wearing a vulgar anti-Swiftie shirt at the Super Bowl parade, the NFL star reignited the drama on The Pivot Podcast—and fans are once again debating whether he went too far for attention.
From Super Bowl shade to Swiftie backlash: C.J. Gardner-Johnson reignites pop culture war
Months after the Super Bowl parade confetti settled, NFL safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is back in headlines—and once again, it involves Taylor Swift and her fiercely loyal fanbase. During a recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast, the former Eagles and current Super Bowl champion revisited the viral controversy that pitted him against the pop icon's followers, the Swifties.
— MySportsUpdate (@MySportsUpdate)
What started as a locker room joke turned into a full-blown cultural clash between the NFL world and Swift's global fan empire.
At the center of the storm? An NSFW shirt, a post aimed at Travis Kelce's ex Kayla Nicole, and a wave of backlash that spilled far beyond social media.
From trash talk to Target run-ins: the feud that won't fade
The controversy began when Gardner-Johnson took to Instagram after Super Bowl LIX, seemingly mocking Kelce for dating Swift by suggesting he'd have won a ring had he stayed with Kayla Nicole. Just days later, he amped up the feud by wearing a sweatshirt at the Eagles' parade that read, 'Swifties can LIX my b----.'
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According to the safety, the shirt wasn't his idea. 'It was left in my locker by one of Big Dom DiSandro's friends,' he explained, describing it as a locker room joke that unfortunately made its way to national headlines.
The fallout was swift—literally. Taylor Swift's fans didn't just unfollow or unfavor him; they review-bombed his mother's Florida restaurant on Yelp, unleashing waves of one-star ratings and snide remarks.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson sets record straight on his behavior after Eagles trade to Houston | The Pivot
Surprisingly warm encounters with Swifties off the field
Despite the chaos, Gardner-Johnson said some fans of Swift later approached him with a mix of criticism and kindness. 'We don't like what you did, but I'm a fan of you,' he recalled one Swiftie saying during a surprisingly pleasant chat in a Target aisle. Even amid controversy, moments of unexpected civility surfaced—hinting that not all fandom feuds are beyond repair.
Still, the incident reignites conversations about boundaries between pop culture and sports trash talk. Taylor Swift herself has never commented publicly on the feud, though she did receive boos from some NFL fans during her Jumbotron appearance at Caesars Superdome on February 9.
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'NFL Season (Taylor's Version)': Taylor Swift's lucky number 13 has fans convinced Travis Kelce is destined for NFL glory in 2025
As for C.J., he seems ready to own the narrative—without backing down. While tensions may have eased, his podcast remarks prove that the line between jest and disrespect remains razor-thin when Swifties are involved.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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