Here's a piece of juicy news if we've ever heard it, coming out of the country music world: Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift have confirmed rumors that the former performer once paid just to keep the latter off of his tour. SCANDAL?
Nope. Turns out that the details are much more mundane and polite than anyone over at TMZ would hope for. This wasn't a recent event in the least: Swift was due to open for Chesney many years ago, when she still below the age of 18. Chesney, taking to country music in the way that Jimmy Buffett might, had also booked Corona Light as a sponsor for the same tour. This led to issues both legal and ethical, having a minor serving as the opening act on a tour sponsored by an alcohol brand. Chesney, not being a jerk, let Swift's camp know of the problem and that there wasn't much he could do about it, but he did offer a check to make up for the potential revenue lost.
So it turns out that Chesney's actually a pretty decent human being, and this isn't a beef on the same level as Taylor Swift vs. Katy Perry. We're sorry to disappoint.
Now if the same thing were to happen again during 2014, then we might raise an eyebrow. Chesney might still have to reconsider including Swift on a tour sponsored by Corona, considering that she's hinted in the past that she may have a few lifestyle problems: She stays up too late. She's got nothing in her brain. She goes on too many dates. We'll stop now. Not to mention Swift is the bestselling performer on Earth now, so Chesney would in all likelihood be opening for her.
Either way, Swift didn't lose out on any exposure as a result of not being able to join the tour, so no harm done in the long run.
