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Monica McNutt is still “mystified” by her wild, viral hot mic Taylor Swift moment and how that got put out into the world during Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
During a recent episode of “The Pivot” podcast hosted by former NFL stars Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor, the ESPN basketball analyst gave her take on the incident in which she was heard taking a shot at the mega popstar while on the Knicks radiocast.
“Epitome of a hot mic situation. We weren’t even up yet. I’m still mystified and would love someone to explain how that got to the masses. But, we’ll leave that there,” McNutt said.
Upon spying Swift in the courtside seats of Madison Square Garden, McNutt was caught saying “She’s not a Knicks fan. Get out of here, girl.”
By the time Game 4 ended with the game and franchise-defining OG Anunoby tip-in, McNutt had no idea she had gone viral and was receiving a ton of heat from Swift fans on social media.
She explained a member of PR said to her “You know you’re doing viral?”
“Dude I don’t care, did you just see that?” she responded. “I don’t care.”
On the podcast, McNutt defended what she said about Swift and said it was a “throwaway comment.”
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) October 25, 2026We all know why Taylor Swift shows up at NFL stadiums, but Monica McNutt had questions when she appeared at Madison Square Garden during the NBA playoffs.
In this business, they say, “The mic is always hot,” and that night, it certainly was! The Swifties went into full attack… pic.twitter.com/JI27MjOTUO
“You gotta be able to read a little colloquialism because ‘Girl get out of here’ isn’t literally ‘Get out of here,’ she said. “But I had just seen you at a Knicks game with your man in no Knicks gear, and all the celebrity Knicks fans I am familiar with, blue and orange down baby it ain’t no question. So, literally it’s a throwaway comment RC, that like please, congratulations you have built an empire, you have an incredible fan base like I do not care.”
“Again, people that have never had our jobs, you don’t know how a hot mic works, and if you don’t speak with any of the flavor that I speak with, you probably took that comment to heart and it wasn’t even that deep,” she added. “And that’s on you, not me.”
Swift’s Knicks fandom was put into question when she was spotted at Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers with then-fiancee Travis Kelce, a Cleveland native.
Swift then showed up to Game 4 of the NBA Finals with the Haim sisters while wearing custom blue and orange Knicks novelty shirts with the pop star’s reading “Stevie Knicks.”
No one approached McNutt about the comment in person other than a reporter from TMZ, who asked to talk to her about the situation. She later apologized to Swift in the street interview between Games 4 and 5.
“The internet is not real….Baby I can close my phone and go on about my business. I am living literally my best professional life right now. What are y’all talking about?” she said.
However, one person did come to McNutt’s defense during the Knicks championship celebrations after taking Game 5 in San Antonio.
Taking her MSG microphone, Jalen Brunson said, “I just want to say something to the Swifties: She’s a really good one, cut her some slack. It’s all good. I promise.”
McNutt explained she did not know the NBA Finals MVP was going to defend her.
“Jalen is just — he’s so thoughtful. He’s an incredible leader,” McNutt said. “I think his sense of what is happening around the people that — not that he is responsible for me but like — he is the king of New York and I’m in the New York orbit if you will. Tip of the cap to him for sure. I was not expecting that. It was really cool.”