Since she joined Tumblr last summer, Taylor Swift has been permanently present on the site, using it to update her fans on news and engage with them to offer everything from advice and protection to gifts.
However, since the Brit Awards last Wednesday, the Swiftie fandom has been divided, and Tumblr has gone into meltdown, with fans angrily messaging each other and Taylor and the singer suggesting she's close to leaving the site altogether.
It all started when Taylor posed for a photo with a fan called Johnnie during the Brit Awards red carpet last week.
taylor posting a pic of that johnnie kid and calling him her love... i gtg.
JOHNNIE IS ON THE RED CARPET HE IS GOING TO MEET TAYLOR IM CONVULSIVN
Some Swifties claimed Johnnie had "bullied" them in the past and were therefore angry that Taylor sent him Valentine's Day gifts and stopped to talk to him at the Brits.
One of these Swifties, Jessica, shared screengrabs of comments Johnnie allegedly made to her.
The fan claimed Johnnie left these comments on Instagram, calling her account "ugly".
As well as "dumb and annoying".
And calling her an "attention seeker".
She also shared further screengrabs of text messages and other comments from Tumblr allegedly posted by Johnnie.
Jessica went on to reply to another fan, telling her Johnnie had "made fun of her eating and body issues".
Things then escalated to the stage where the bizarre hashtag #SwiftiesWantTaylorSwiftDead began trending on Twitter.
The overwhelming majority of tweets including the hashtag were ones of shock and disgust that it'd been started in the first place.
i can't believe this whole johnnie thing, i get it he was wrong but why start a hashtag like #SwiftiesWantTaylorSwiftDead that is so wrong
But are u fuckin' kidding or what? Tweet #SwiftiesWantTaylorSwiftDead is ridiculous! True swifties dont wish the death to @taylorswift13
#SwiftiesWantTaylorSwiftDead what even is this hastag?! It's terrible 😠😥 This isn't us. #FakeSwiftiesGonnaFake
However, it soon became clear that Taylor was seeing the hashtag and the general negativity. Although she didn't directly comment on it, she began liking posts on Tumblr that defended her decision to support Johnnie.
She then shared this Instagram photo with the caption "Choose the right one <3", which fans took as a response to the arguments over Johnnie.
Some Swifties felt that other members of the fandom, and Taylor herself, had sided with Johnnie over the people who claimed they were bullied by him.
funny how Taylor liked a post saying Johnnie isn't a bully and the nicest person ever but ignores that it's proven that he bullied Swifties
I don't want Taylor to stop loving Johnnie. I just want Taylor to realize what he did was wrong, instead of avoiding it.
taylor is throwing so much shade right now and I just feel so bad for that poor girl who johnnie bullied
STOP HATING ON THE GIRL THAT THAT PRICK JOHNNIE BULLIED FFS JUST STOP SHES STANDING UP FOR HERSELF TAYLOR YOU NEED TO STEP IN
Then Taylor began liking posts which suggested she would leave Tumblr if the negativity continued.
Johnnie himself has now taken to Tumblr to apologise for his actions and defend some of what he's said in the past.
He went on to reblog a comment that said everyone has words and actions they regret.
But Jessica was still being sent comments claiming she was "enjoying the attention".
And ended up saying she was on the verge of an anxiety attack worrying that Taylor may think she was "lying" or acting "out of jealousy".
