The INSIDER Summary:

  • Lorde said having famous friends was "like having a friend with an autoimmune disease."
  • Some fans assumed that she was referring to Taylor Swift, among others.
  • The internet's reaction was harsh.
  • Lorde has since apologized for her insensitivity

Lorde, who secretly ran an Instagram account that rated onion rings and then deleted it, has given dozens of interviews on her press tour for her new album, "Melodrama." She's talked a lot about fame, her age, and her music.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, she seemed to compare having famous friends — particularly Taylor Swift — with having friends with autoimmune diseases. It's inspired backlash around the web.

Here's the offending paragraph, from The Guardian:

She searches for the better-expressed phrase or analogy – which isn’t always necessary, because she’s very good off the cuff. (On the difficulty of maintaining a friendship with someone as famous as Taylor Swift: “It’s like having a friend with very specific allergies. There are certain places you can’t go together. Certain things you can’t do. There are these different sets of considerations within the friendship. It’s like having a friend with an autoimmune disease.”)

The Twitter reaction has been harsh, but Lorde swiftly apologized. In a response to the kerfuffle, she said she "f---ed up" and that she's sorry.

Lorde also said that she didn't mention Swift, so it's possible that The Guardian added her in as an example of a famous friend of Lorde's and that the singer didn't specifically refer to Swift.

a tough as guts balloon veteran

A post shared by Lorde (@lordemusic) on Nov 7, 2016 at 11:37pm PST

Swift and Lorde have been friends for years, and Lorde explained to The Guardian why so many celebrities tend to strike up friendships with other celebrities.

"It’s an element of wanting to stick together," Lorde said. "Because it can be so scary to do this. These friendships, they’re about having a hand put on your shoulder by someone who knows. They’re about hearing, 'I’ve done it, too.'"