Taylor Swift Hands Out 'Nearly $200M in Bonuses to Eras Tour Crew' — and Leaves Rivals in the Industry 'Feeling like the Bad Guys' After Singer Sets 'Impossible Standards'
Taylor Swift is making sure her crew knows they are appreciated.
Dec. 17 2025, Published 5:20 p.m. ET
Taylor Swift's reputation for having a heart of gold rubbed some of her peers the wrong way, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
After it was confirmed in her new Disney+ docuseries, The End of an Era, that the superstar gave out a whopping $197million in bonuses to truck drivers, backup dancers, and everyone involved in her record-breaking Eras Tour, a source claimed other musicians are peeved their crew will now also want hefty checks.
Taylor Swift's Rivals Feel She's 'Setting an Impossible Standard'
A source said 'crews everywhere' will now want a huge bonus after Taylor Swift's generous gift to her Eras Tour crew.
“She's setting an impossible standard,” one veteran tour manager explained to Rob Shuter's Substack. "Now crews everywhere are looking around like, 'So where's our Taylor Swift bonus?'"
Another source noted, "This absolutely changes expectations."
Though the billionaire can obviously afford to sign the big checks, the source said "most artists" could also give raises, but unlike the Grammy winner, they won't.
A tour production source said giving six-figure bonuses is unheard of.
“If you think Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, or Katy Perry are suddenly handing out six-figure bonuses, forget it," a production insider declared. "That's not how most of these operations work.”
"Everyone loves Taylor, but there's also this feeling of, 'Great, now we're the bad guys,'" an additional source explained.
Taylor Swift Reveals Bonuses in 'The End of an Era'
The musician delivered handwritten notes to every one of her staffers alongside their bonus.
Swift awarded her staffers with the bonuses via handwritten letters in an emotional scene in the documentary.
"Before you open yours, I just want to say, you guys, this leg of the tour has been harder than anything I've ever done in a live setting, and you guys have taken this on with such excitement, such curiosity, and the endurance you’ve shown.
"The spirit you've shown. How much you’ve given to these crowds, that gives to me every single night. The tour has done really well thanks to all of our hard work. So if you could kindly read the message."
Taylor Swift Praises Staffers for Their Hard Work
A production assistant thought he was 'gonna pass out' after receiving the check.
Several of the dancers shed tears as they read her note, though the exact amount they were given was bleeped out.
In another scene, the Bad Blood hitmaker's production assistant admitted he thought he was "gonna pass out" after receiving the bonus.
Swift explained it was "really important" to her to set a precedent with her world tour, which was estimated to have sparked $5billion in consumer spending just in America.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
The pop star said it was 'really important to me' to set a precedent with the Eras Tour.
"People who work on the road, if the tour grosses more, they get more of a bonus," Swift continued in the doc. "And these people just work so hard. And they are the best at what they do."
"She’s redefining what 'fair' looks like," another insider told Shuter's blog. "And once you do that, you can’t put the genie back in the bottle."
