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TL;DR:

  • Trans model Laith Ashley felt the offer to appear in Taylor Swift’s “Lavender Haze” video was a prank.
  • He said he was very afraid to touch Swift when he played her love interest in the music video.
  • Ashley discussed what it was like to dance with the “You Need to Calm Down” singer.
"Lavender Haze" singer Taylor Swift in a coat
Taylor Swift | Mat Hayward/GC Images

Model Laith Ashley appeared in the music video for Taylor Swift‘s “Lavender Haze.” Subsequently, Ashley revealed why he was scared to touch Swift during his scenes in the music video. In addition, he revealed why Swift jumped on him at one point.

Laith Ashley discussed his favorite songs from Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’

Ashley is a transgender male model, activist, and singer. He recently made headlines for playing Swift’s love interest in the music video for her single “Lavender Haze.” During a 2023 interview with Elle, Ashley said he saw the opportunity to appear in the video as a prank. He didn’t think Swift could possibly know who he was.

Ashley’s manager insisted the gig was legitimate. Subsequently, Ashley got very nervous. He tried to make sure his skin looked good for the shoot. The model wanted to know how he came to Swift’s attention, but he never asked. Notably, “Lavender Haze” is one of his favorite songs from Swift’s latest album, Midnights, alongside “Anti-Hero” and “Midnight Rain.”

Laith Ashley said he didn’t want to touch Taylor Swift in the ‘Lavender Haze’ video because trans men respect women

Ashley discussed the experience of being on the video set. “Interestingly enough, I rewatched her with other love interests in previous videos, and I was just so afraid to touch her,” he recalled. “Like I know we’re acting, but I always says it’s the trans masculine urge to just be overly considerate of a woman’s body and her boundaries. So I was nervous and awkward and smiling the whole time, because I was so nervous.”

Subsequently, Ashley was asked about the scene in the video where he dances with Swift and dips her. “I actually asked if I could do that,” he said. “We were dancing with each other and spinning around, and I asked, ‘Can I carry you?’ And she said, ‘Yeah, of course,’ and she jumped on me. 

“I asked, ‘Can I move you around?'” he added. “She was like, ‘Go for it.’ And I dipped her back and then back up, and we did that a couple times, and she was having a great time. I was like, ‘Great this is awesome, I hope it looks great on camera.’ And they ended up using that part.”

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How ‘Lavender Haze’ performed on the charts in the United States

“Lavender Haze” became a modest hit for Swift. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 15 weeks. 

The tune appeared on the album Midnights. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for five weeks, staying on the chart for 15 weeks.

So far, “Lavender Haze” is a decent hit for Swift and a career milestone for Ashley.

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