‘Satanic rituals’ at Taylor Swift shows? That’s False. And experts say the attack isn’t new.

Social media users have their pitchforks and proof, as Taylor Swift lyrics famously say, and they’re hunting for Satan worshippers. The current target? Swift herself.

"Taylor Swift is doing satanic rituals during her shows," said a man in an April 12 Facebook reel. 

"This is now coming just blatantly," he said, as footage played of Swift wearing a green cloak surrounded by dancers holding golden orbs. "You’ve got Taylor Swift doing all kinds of witchcraft rituals and satanic stuff on stage." 

Then he showed a clip from Swift’s "Karma" music video, saying: "It shows Taylor Swift in what appears to be hell wearing what appears to be a devil mask." 

Taylor Swift holds a red mask with horns in front of her face the "Karma" music video. (Screenshot from YouTube.)

"Nice devil mask there, Taylor Swift," he said. "Why the devil mask? Why this kind of imagery?"

In another Facebook video, a man claimed one of Swift’s hand gestures during her Eras Tour show was the singer "throwing up the devil horns."

These posts were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

Swift’s catalog of lyrics includes mentions of witches, devils and angels. She sings, "Women like hunting witches, too," in "Mad Woman" from her 2020 album "Folklore." In the 2019 song "Cruel Summer," she sings, "Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes." We found no mentions of Satan, Lucifer or satanic rituals. 

Although some critics have claimed her Eras Tour performance of the song "Willow" promotes witchcraft, we found no evidence that Swift’s performances intentionally feature satanic rituals. The "Willow" dance appears to be a stage adaptation of a similar scene from her music video. 

There is no clear evidence Satan worship has ever been practiced in an organized and widespread way, so it isn’t clear what "Satanic rituals" the post claimed Swift was performing.

Lucien Greaves, co-founder of The Satanic Temple, a religious organization that the IRS recognizes as a tax-exempt church, said that he sees public concern raised about celebrities and alleged satanism almost every month. He called claims like these "incredibly asinine conspiracy theories."

What would a "satanic ritual" even look like? It’s not clear. The Satanic Temple’s frequently asked questions page says the group does not worship Satan or believe Satan — or anything "supernatural" — exists. There is no sacred scripture nor any required rituals. It is a religion because it provides "a sense of identity, culture, community, and shared values," the website says. 

Some members may perform rituals they find "personally meaningful" and that are tailored to their individual needs, the FAQ page said. Such rituals may include "unbaptisms," in which people renounce superstitions imposed on them without consent, and destruction rituals, in which people destroy an object they own that symbolizes a source of pain. 

We found no evidence that Swift has engaged in any of those activities. She has publicly described herself as a Christian.

In the 2020 documentary "Miss Americana," she expressed frustration with the policy positions of then-Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. (Swift endorsed Blackburn’s democratic opponent in 2018; Blackburn was elected in November 2018.)

"Those aren’t ‘Tennessee Christian values,’" Swift said. "I live in Tennessee. I am Christian. That’s not what we stand for." 

Still, like a line from Swift’s "Reputation" album — "they’re burning all the witches, even if you aren’t one" — the lack of evidence hasn’t stopped social media claims linking Swift to satanism or devil worship. 

Swift previously appeared to poke fun at the witchcraft attacks. In November, she shared a video captured during a performance, when she was singing about an airplane and a plane happened to fly overhead at the open-air stadium, with the caption, "Never beating the sorcery allegations."

Never beating the sorcery allegations ✨🛬✨ pic.twitter.com/d0mlvF4gZW

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) November 13, 2023

We contacted Swift’s spokesperson and received no reply. 

Experts told PolitiFact that musicians have long been accused of performing satanic rituals. 

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"When someone goes looking for signs of satanic ritual, they will find those signs everywhere, from the packaging on products they buy to stop signs," said Susan Campbell, a distinguished lecturer in the University of New Haven’s Department of Communication, Film and Media Studies. 

Joseph Uscinski, a University of Miami political science professor who studies conspiracy theories, agreed that "people see what they want to see." 

"There is a long history of satanic panics in the United States," Uscinski said. In the 1980s, "all of my favorite bands were accused of taking part in satanic rituals: Led Zeppelin, Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, Iron Maiden."

Campbell said fans of the rock band Kiss might recall warnings that the band’s name stood for "Knights In Satan’s Service" and related rumors that listeners were "guilty of worshiping Satan."

"Love the band, hate the band, there is no evidence that members or fans of Kiss worship the devil," Campbell said. 

Taylor Swift performs Feb. 7, 2024, at the Tokyo Dome as part of the Eras Tour. (AP)

Campbell said she thinks that Swift’s 2020 endorsement of President Joe Biden and her success in encouraging her fans to register to vote "opened the door for people" to falsely attack her. 

"The better approach when faced with such nonsense is a fairly simple two-step process," Campbell said. "1. Consider the source of these rumors and 2. Do a little digging for yourself." 

A Facebook post says, "Taylor Swift is doing satanic rituals during her shows."

Swift’s songs mention neither Satan nor Satanic rituals. Swift has publicly described herself as a Christian.

The leader of The Satanic Temple dismissed the allegations about Swift as conspiracy theories, and there is no clear evidence Satan worship has ever been practiced in an organized and widespread way.

At PolitiFact, the burden of proof is on the speaker. Absent proof, we rate this claim False.

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