yahoo - 6/12/2026 1:32:27 AM - GMT (+2 )
New York Knicks game analyst Monica McNutt is on an apology tour after she questioned why superstar singer Taylor Swift was at Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Speaking with TMZ Sports, McNutt addressed the viral hot-mic moment and the wave of Swiftie backlash that followed June 11, saying that she was "wrong" about Swift not being a Knicks fan.
"Swifties, I appreciate your passion. I said what I said," McNutt said. "And here's the deal, if I'm wrong. I am wrong, apparently, because she's got an OG Amar'e Stoudemire jersey."
"I misspoke. I did not know. But here's the deal, context, I literally just did a piece on celebrity row. I've been with this organization for five years. I know these folks. Ben Stiller. His wife, Christine (Taylor). Spike Lee. All of them. Fat Joe," she added.
McNutt offered additional clarity, telling the outlet that she had not seen the "New Romantics" singer at a Knicks game this year, or last year.
"And we just saw her in Cleveland with her fiancé (Travis Kelce). Obviously, Travis supports the Cavs. She didn't have any Knicks paraphernalia, so I did not know of her Knicks loyalty. But shoutout, T-Swift. We can be united in orange and blue, like, it's fine."
McNutt's backpedaling came less than 24 hours after she was caught dissing Swift to fellow Knicks colleague Tyler Murray shortly after spotting her: "She's not a Knicks fan. Get outta here, girl."
Unbeknownst to some, including McNutt up until recently, Swift has been a Knicks fan for a while. In a 2014 interview with TIME, Swift opened up about her love of the Knicks shortly after she moved to New York City.
Responding to a comment made by TIME correspondent Jack Dickey about how bad the Knicks were doing then, Swift made it clear that her love of the team didn't depend on how well they're playing.
"I love them, though," Swift said. "Why does that matter?"
Swift told TIME that her interactions with Stoudemire and his then-wife Alexis at the Met Gala helped cement her love of the Knicks, noting that the couple were the "most normal people at that event, every single time."
"I talk with them and hang with them every time I’m there. So I’ve always had this sort of love of the Knicks, just because Amar’e is so cool," Swift said.
"And also I performed at the Knicks’—at Madison Square Garden’s—Kids Talent Competition at halftime when I was 12 or 13. And ever since then I’ve had this kind of sparkly, magical opinion of Madison Square Garden and the Knicks, since they let me sing when I was a little kid," Swift added.
Swift, who donned a "Stevie Knicks" tee, was one of a dozen A-listers spotted rooting for the Knicks on June 10. She sat courtside with Haim sisters, Alana and Este, who were also wearing shirts with Knicks-related puns.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Monica McNutt apologizes for assuming Taylor Swift wasn't a Knicks fan
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