The pop superstar, known for her meticulously crafted public persona and historically drama-free interactions with fans, seemed perplexed by the backlash. After all, Swift has previously dipped her toes into the political waters without seeing such an intense reaction. But this time, things went differently, and she’s not taking the blame.

It all started with a simple, well-meaning post. Taylor Swift, in her now-familiar candid style, shared a heartfelt message to her 250 million Instagram followers endorsing Kamala Harris for president. The post, featuring a radiant Swift smiling with an American flag subtly placed in the background, read, “Kamala Harris is the leader we need! Strong, smart, and fighting for equality. I stand with Kamala, and I hope you all do, too!”

Within minutes, the post had racked up millions of likes, but just as quickly, something unexpected began to happen. Swifties—who are usually ready to back their queen in all things—started to express their displeasure. “Taylor, I love your music, but this is too much,” one comment read. “I didn’t follow you for politics,” said another.

And then the unfollows started. Swift’s follower count, which had been steadily rising for years, began plummeting. First a few hundred, then a few thousand, then hundreds of thousands—until the number of lost followers reportedly reached over a million.

Taylor Swift, stunned by the sudden backlash, was quick to address the situation. In a video posted to her Instagram story, she reassured her followers (well, those who remained) that she wasn’t taking the loss personally. “Guys, I think something weird is going on with Instagram,” Swift said, visibly confused. “There’s no way so many of you unfollowed me just because of one post. It has to be a glitch, right?”

She went on to explain that she had already contacted Instagram’s support team to investigate the sudden drop in followers. “I’m sure it’s just a technical issue,” she added, optimistically. “I mean, this is Instagram—surely they wouldn’t let a little thing like politics mess with their algorithms.”

Despite her reassurances, it was clear that Swift was rattled by the situation. For an artist who has built her empire on being in tune with her audience, the mass unfollowing was a jarring wake-up call.

As Swift’s follower count continued to dwindle, the remaining fans found themselves divided. On one side were the loyal Swifties who applauded their idol for standing up for what she believed in, politics and all. “Taylor has every right to use her platform for good,” one supporter tweeted. “If you’re unfollowing her for that, you were never a real fan.”

But on the other side, many fans felt betrayed by Swift’s decision to bring politics into their once-untainted world of music and empowerment anthems. “I just want to listen to her music without feeling like I’m being lectured,” said one former fan. “This isn’t what I signed up for.”

The divide only grew as Swift continued to post about her political beliefs in the days following the endorsement. With every post, more followers disappeared, leaving Swift and her team scrambling to figure out what had gone wrong.

Much to Swift’s dismay, Instagram quickly responded to her claims of a “glitch,” stating that there was no technical issue affecting her account. In a statement released by the platform, a representative confirmed, “After a thorough review, we have determined that there is no glitch affecting Taylor Swift’s account. The follower drop appears to be the result of users voluntarily unfollowing her.”

The response from Instagram left Swift with little room to maneuver. With her glitch theory debunked, it became increasingly clear that the mass unfollowing was, in fact, a direct result of her political endorsement.

Despite the setback, Swift remained defiant. “I’m not going to let this stop me,” she said in a follow-up video. “I stand by Kamala, and I stand by everything I said. If people want to unfollow me for that, then maybe we weren’t meant to be on this journey together.”

As Swift grappled with her new reality, the fallout from her endorsement continued to spread. Reports surfaced that her merchandise sales had taken a hit, with fans canceling orders for Swift-branded items in droves. Swift’s online store, which typically experiences a steady stream of sales, saw a noticeable drop in activity.

“I just can’t bring myself to wear her merch after this,” said one former fan, who posted a video of herself returning a recently purchased Taylor Swift hoodie. “It doesn’t feel right anymore.”

In addition to declining merch sales, concert ticket sales for Swift’s upcoming tour reportedly slowed down as well. Swift, who is known for selling out stadiums within minutes, found that some dates on her tour were moving tickets more slowly than expected.

“It’s not a total disaster,” said one insider, “but it’s clear that the endorsement has caused a portion of her fanbase to rethink their support.”

Despite the setbacks, industry experts believe that Swift will eventually recover from the controversy. “Taylor Swift is one of the most resilient artists out there,” said one music industry analyst. “She’s been through public feuds, relationship drama, and career reinventions. This is just another bump in the road.”

Still, it remains to be seen whether Swift will continue to blend her music career with her political activism or if she’ll take a step back from the political spotlight in an attempt to repair her relationship with her fans.

As for Swift herself, she appears undeterred. In a recent interview, she acknowledged the backlash but reiterated her commitment to using her platform for what she believes in. “I know not everyone agrees with me,” she said, “but I’ve never been one to back down from what I think is right.”

As the dust settles from the Kamala Harris endorsement debacle, Taylor Swift is facing the toughest challenge of her career—rebuilding trust with a fanbase that feels divided. Whether she will be able to reclaim her position as the world’s most beloved pop star remains to be seen, but if Swift’s past is any indication, she’s not going down without a fight.

In the meantime, Swift continues to blame Instagram for the follower loss, despite the platform’s insistence that everything is working as it should. “There’s gotta be a glitch,” Swift said with a smile in a recent livestream. “Maybe they just haven’t found it yet.”