Photo: WENN
Taylor Swift’s crew are currently trying to the ckaun that they unsettled and harmed rare birds during a video shoot and shake it off.
The shoot was taking place on Monday 23 November at Bethells Beach in New Zealand. Needless to say, there’s ‘Bad Blood’ between her team and animal rights campaigners.
Cherokee Films have been accused by campaigners of ignoring council permits and using too many vehicles onto the beach where a large number of rare dotterel birds have their nests.
The production company have issued a full statement in response to the claims and explained that Swift had no connection to the planning of the video shoot.
"Taylor Swift and her management team were in no way at fault and did not do anything that violated permits or ordinance," they said.
"Cherokee Films were filming at Bethells Beach on Monday 23rd November where a base camp was set up on private land which allowed for access to the beach. We had permission from the landowners and paid a fee for use of the land."
Cherokee Films continued: "At no time were the film crew close to that habitat. No dotterel were harmed."
"Cherokee Films has a long history of responsible film shoots across Auckland, including Bethells Beach, where we have filmed many times. Our shoots have always been with the guidance and support of the relevant local authority - most recently Screen Auckland and Parks - and landowners.
"In acknowledgement of the concern this has added to those in charge of protecting local dotterel population Cherokee Films will make a donation to the breeding program as we support your concerns. Cherokee Films is working with Screen Auckland to resolve this issue."
Stuff.co.nz reported that the chair of the Waitakere Ranges Local Board, Sandra Coney took to Facebook to call out Swift's film crew. "Taylor Swift filming at Bethells this week. Permission was given for I think 2 vehicles, instead there were about a dozen. Parks not happy at all," Coney explained.
"We are trying to minimise vehicles on beaches for good reasons but at Bethells there are baby dotterels. We have developed a dotterel management plan as there is a heap of filming out there, and we welcome it as economic activity that should leave no footprint, but Taylor's lot did not respect the environment or the conditions of their consent."
Taylor Swift is yet to comment on these claims, but this isn't the first time she's come under fire for one of her music videos. Earlier this year, a number of media outlets accused her of depicting a "colonial fantasy" in her video for single 'Wildest Dreams'.
