Very few of you paid attention to this – and a couple of you were begging for the coverage, so WTF – but the Grammys are a hotbed of controversy and shenanigans. It would be notable at any time, but this has all come together in basically the week preceding the Grammys, which are tonight. The ousted Recording Academy president and CEO Deborah Dugan made “explosive” claims about the Recording Academy. Claims of sexual harassment and the deeply unfair Grammy nomination process, not to mention a claim of rape against the former president Neil Portnow. Dugan has aired her concerns and claims publicly in a TV interview, and it’s been the talk of the music industry for days.

So how will it affect the Grammys tonight? The show must go on, of course, but at least one major musical talent is taking her leave: Taylor Swift was loosely scheduled to make a “surprise performance” but now she’s not going to do it:

Taylor Swift has bowed out of a possible performance on the Grammy Awards program Sunday night just as stealthily as it appeared she might have bowed into it, multiple sources tell Variety.

Her possible appearance on the show had been kept a secret — albeit not an extremely well-kept secret — so her exit won’t create the problems that would have occurred if one of the many performers that had been announced were to have taken their leave.

Sources say that she was never formally confirmed for the show, though hopes were high that the show could nail down an appearance that was well along in talks.

Rehearsal schedules for the taping at Staples Center had included one “TBA” artist that was believed to have been reserved for Swift, possibly performing her most recent album’s feminist anthem, “The Man” … which could have taken on extra meaning, given the charges of sexism swirling around the Recording Academy.

[From Variety]

Taylor was also supposed to attend, in general, because she’s nominated in three Grammy categories, including Song of the Year. But Lover didn’t get nominated for Album of the Year or Record of the Year, the two big ones. (Neither did Reputation a few years ago.) One of Dugan’s complaints was that the committee overseeing those nominations decided to ignore artists like Swift in favor of “more curious choices.”

Variety broke the story, but they noted that they didn’t have confirmation that Swift pulled out of the Grammys because of Dugan’s claims exactly. Page Six had more information from an unnamed source though – the source said that Swift was planning on performing “The Man,” and “Obviously, that would [have been] extremely pointed.” The source also insinuated that Swift did pull out because of Dugan’s interview, and the source said: “Here’s why I think the ceremony will be troubled — a lot of the artists will feel cheapened if there are voting irregularities around Song of the Year.” I mean… there are always “voting irregularities.” Not to be Debbie Downer, but the Grammys are f–king awful and they never represent what’s really happening in music. They are ALWAYS shady. They always give big awards to “surprise” (white) people. The Grammys suck. Anyway, I’m glad Taylor is taking a principled stance here, I think, if that’s what she’s doing.

Photos courtesy of WENN.