Life as Taylor Swift… a social experiment?
On Saturday (Aug. 19), crowds and swarms of Swifties approached Swift lookalike and viral TikTok star Ashley Leechin at two locations in the Los Angeles area.
She first arrived at The Grove outdoor shopping area in Los Angeles alongside a few men wearing all black, sunglasses while appearing to have earpieces in, leading people to believe that they were security for her.
Almost instantaneously, people flocked to her attempting to get selfies with Leechin and videos of who they believed was the “You Need to Calm Down” singer.
Leechin later arrived at Downtown Disney, the shopping district of Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. with her “security guards.” She donned a burgundy beret, sunglasses, black long sleeve shirt and jeans, giving fans a Red era look. She pulled the Swift inspired look off well, so well that some people actually believed that it was Swift in the flesh. Almost immediately people shared photos and videos of Leechin on TikTok and Twitter, questioning if it really was Swift there.
Moments after she arrived, what seemed like Disney security in a yellow hi-vis vest with a sun hat on, approached Leechin and the guards and began walking with them.
That evening, Leechin took to her Instagram Story to clarify why she seemingly had bodyguards with her.
“What a way to show what it’s like to live in the shoes of a well-known celebrity. I think this why they hire decoys so they can go to private events & enjoy themselves without being swarmed by fans,” she wrote alongside an image from YouTuber VicInTheGame who said that the video they were collaborating on, may have been too brazen.
The Swiftie fandom was divided about the ordeal, with most people being frustrated over the incident, as it felt like a form of deceit for some.
See clips from the outings, below.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8Fj2GBk/