Taylor Threatens Legal Action And Celebrity Twitter Tears Itself Apart Over Kimye Leak

It’s been about 30 hours since Kim Kardashian released video of Taylor Swift giving her blessing to Kanye West for “Famous”, and Taylor clapped back, citing “character assassination”.

It was a seismic event felt globally. Don’t believe it?

Check out this Twitter map, showing social media activity in the hours after Kim dropped the incriminating clip.

Yes, the internet had much to say about #Taygate or #Tayghazi or whatever we’re meant to call this momentous pop moment. (Many posts had variations on the phrases ‘receipts’ and ‘hot tea’.)

But amongst the debris of their social media skirmish lies a question: Did Kimye break the law by secretly recording Swift and publishing their conversation without her consent?

Maybe!

Buzzfeed spoke to Los Angeles attorney Troy Slaten to clear up some of the misinformation around the legalities of the matter. (Such as, does it matter which state Taylor was in when the call took place? Short answer: nope, because if Kanye was in California – as is believed – he is subject to California’s strict wiretapping laws.)

“You are not allowed to record or allow anyone else to record,” the attorney said.

“So [Kanye] could be liable and if he had a documentary film crew record and they could be liable. And Kim could be liable for recording the recording.”

What would be the consequences of the Kardashian-West clan violating California’s wiretapping law?

“If convicted of a misdemeanour, it is up to a year in county jail and or a $US2,500 fine. If convicted of a felony, it is up to three years in state prison and or a $US2,500 fine on first offense.”

TMZ pointed out that Swift already threatened Kanye with criminal prosecution back in February, with a letter from her lawyers demanding he “immediately destroy all such recordings, provide us of assurance that this has been done, and also assurance that these recordings have not been previously disseminated.”

Kim actually discussed this letter on a recent episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians, though Slaten says this admission of receiving the letter could put her in hot water.

“Kim Kardashian said [Swift’s] lawyer sent a letter. It’s consciousness of guilt. So knowing that you have this potentially illegally obtained recording, you then tweeted it. It just shows a disregard for the law.”

All of this, however, depends on whether or not any prosecutors would even want to take up this case (which, in the grand scheme of things, is pretty small potatoes).

Except on the internet, of course, where it is the biggest potatoes! The fallout has already seen Swift and Kim’s squad members face heavy criticism. (Selena Gomez for supposedly dismissing the #BlackLivesMatter movement in a particularly heated moment of Swift-defending; Khloe Kardashian for misattributing a candid, explicit photo to Swift’s pal Chloë Grace Moretz).

Instagram has even had to begin monitoring Swift’s uploads, given the influx of snake emoji that have begun taking over her comments section.

Remember, all of this took place in 24 hours. Here’s an artist’s rendition of Celebrity Twitter in precisely one week’s time:

Photo: Instagram.