Taylor Swift's activities at beachside mansion spark outrage online: 'What a waste'

What are your Fourth of July plans? As for pop star Taylor Swift, she'll likely spend the holiday at her Rhode Island mansion — possibly the first time she's visited all year. That discovery has sparked outrage online, with many critics accusing the pop star of being wasteful.

In 2013, Swift paid $17.75 million in cash for the beachfront Rhode Island mansion. Historically called the Holiday House, the 11,000-square-foot home was originally built in 1930 — and it has reportedly lived up to its name, as Swift reportedly only uses it for rare vacations.

A recent Reddit post claims Swift "only uses it for 4th of July parties and occasionally other parties."

"What a waste of a gorgeous home," one commenter wrote.

"There are 600,000 homeless people in America," another commenter wrote. "No one should have a vacation home."

While the exact dates of Swift's visits aren't always publicly confirmed, she is often spotted in Rhode Island around major events or holidays — especially in the summer months. Her famed Fourth of July parties at the mansion began in 2014.

According to Today, Swift didn't host parties at the mansion between 2017 and 2022. Then, she returned to the home in 2023 for a Fourth of July celebration. In 2024, Swift was in Europe for Independence Day, though she did visit the mansion in August with celebrity friends, per Business Insider.

Swift also filmed an intimate fan performance in the mansion's living room before the release of her 2017 album "Reputation." Other visits to the mansion appear to be underpublicized and, by any indication, rare.

Aside from her Rhode Island mansion, Swift owns seven other real estate properties in New York City, Los Angeles, and Nashville.

While witnessing the rich lavish in excess can be frustrating for any standard earner, Swift's mansion usage — or lack thereof — comes with some environmental concerns. That's because, even if Swift isn't actively living in the mansion, the mammoth structure still consumes energy by simply existing.

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That includes everything from powering security cameras to undergoing polluting landscape maintenance and more. The home also likely runs a heating and cooling system, even without occupants, to prevent pipe damage and mold.

Even when Swift decides to visit, she frequently travels to the mansion by private jet, which is an extremely polluting form of travel — especially for short stays. The star has long been critiqued for her use of private jets by climate-conscious critics, as have many celebrities.

Swift also hasn't escaped scrutiny for changing the seaside landscape of her Rhode Island digs. As the original poster pointed out, Swift also controversially extended a seawall behind her home to the water to block off beach access for privacy. The beachfront, though technically part of Swift's property, had been used by locals for decades prior.

And Swift doesn't appear to be slowing down on her controversial tweaks to the mansion anytime soon. Realtor.com recently reported that Swift is planning a $1.7 million expansion of the home, which will only increase the related environmental woes. 

Given the financial and environmental costs of only a few visits each year, the Fourth of July fireworks better be spectacular.

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