Olivia Benson (cat)
Scottish Fold cat owned by Taylor Swift, named after a TV detective.
Olivia Benson is a Scottish Fold cat who lives with Taylor Swift. The singer adopted her as a kitten in June 2014 and named her after the lead character from *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*. Olivia appears in Swift’s music videos for “Blank Space,” “Me!,” and “Karma,” as well as the documentary *Miss Americana*. She has also been featured in commercials for Keds, Diet Coke, AT&T, and DirecTV, and her image serves as the logo for Taylor Swift Productions, Swift’s in-house visual media company.
Like all Scottish Folds, Olivia has osteochondrodysplasia, a degenerative joint condition. She is one of three cats Swift owns; the others are Meredith Grey, another Scottish Fold named after a *Grey’s Anatomy* character, and Benjamin Button, a Ragdoll named after the title character of *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button*. Swift told *Rolling Stone* in 2014 that Meredith and Olivia’s names were chosen to evoke “strong, complex, independent women.” That same year, Swift was photographed carrying Olivia through New York City streets because the cat could not tolerate being in a carrier.
Olivia’s first commercial appearance came in October 2014, when Keds used her in an ad for “Sneaky Cat” shoes tied to Swift’s album *1989*. Later that month, she appeared in a Diet Coke commercial where kittens multiplied each time Swift took a sip. In November 2014, she made her music video debut in “Blank Space.” In 2015, Olivia met actress Mariska Hargitay, who plays the *Law & Order* character she is named after. In 2017, Ed Sheeran bought his own Scottish Fold, Calippo, after seeing Swift’s cats on Instagram. The breed’s rising popularity from Swift and Sheeran’s posts led the British Veterinary Association to call for a ban and prompted *Veterinary Record* to review its use in ads. Olivia later appeared in an AT&T commercial outtake and a DirecTV ad featuring a giant “caticorn” version of her.
In 2019, Olivia and Meredith joined Swift’s “Me!” music video alongside Benjamin, whom Swift then adopted. All three cats appeared in *Miss Americana* (2020), and a sleeping Olivia was shown in the 2023 “Karma” video.
Olivia has also made her mark in pop culture. On *The Graham Norton Show* in 2014, John Cleese called her “the weirdest cat I’ve ever seen,” drawing a scolding from Norton. In 2015, Swift posted a video of Olivia interacting with Hargitay.
Quick Facts
- Breed
- Scottish Fold
- Sex
- Female
- Species
- Domestic cat
- Birth Date
- January 23, 2014
- Owner
- Taylor Swift
- Named After
- Olivia Benson
- Other Name
- Dibbles
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Olivia Benson was purchased by Taylor Swift in June 2014 as a kitten. She has osteochondrodysplasia, a degenerative joint disease that affects all Scottish Fold cats. Olivia, along with Swift's other cats Meredith Grey and Benjamin Button, is named after a fictional character—in her case, the lead character from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit played by Mariska Hargitay. Swift told Rolling Stone in September 2014 that the names Meredith and Olivia were themed after "strong, complex, independent women." In September 2014, Swift was photographed carrying Olivia around New York City streets because Olivia could not cope with being in a cat carrier.
In October 2014, Keds released an advertising campaign featuring Olivia for their "Sneaky Cat" shoes, which had Swift's birthday on the back, to promote Swift's album 1989. Later that month, Olivia appeared in a Diet Coke commercial where kittens multiplied with each sip. In November 2014, she made her first music video appearance in "Blank Space." In 2015, Olivia met actress Mariska Hargitay, who plays the character she is named after. In 2017, Ed Sheeran bought his own Scottish Fold, Calippo, to match Swift's cats. The increased interest in the breed from Swift and Sheeran's Instagram posts prompted the British Veterinary Association to call for a ban on the breed. Olivia later appeared in an AT&T commercial outtake and a DirecTV commercial featuring a giant "caticorn" version of her.
In April 2019, Olivia and Meredith appeared in Swift's "Me!" music video, along with Benjamin, whom Swift subsequently adopted. The cats also appeared in Miss Americana, Swift's 2020 autobiographical documentary. In May 2023, a sleeping Olivia featured in the music video for "Karma." Olivia is the logo of Taylor Swift Productions. In the 2018 film Deadpool 2, the lead character wears a t-shirt bearing images of Olivia and Meredith. The spy film Argylle (2024) was influenced by Olivia; one of its official posters was inspired by a shot of Olivia in a cat carrier from Miss Americana.
Reader's Guide
Olivia Benson's significance extends beyond being a celebrity pet. As the logo of Taylor Swift Productions, she became a visual emblem of Swift's creative output. Her frequent appearances in Swift's Instagram posts contributed to a notable increase in the popularity of Scottish Fold cats among the public, which in turn led to veterinary concerns about the breed's health issues, specifically osteochondrodysplasia. The British Veterinary Association called for a ban on the breed, and Veterinary Record reviewed its use in adverts, highlighting the ethical implications of promoting a breed with a degenerative joint disease. Olivia's cultural footprint includes references in major films like Deadpool 2 and Argylle, and her name's connection to the Law & Order character created a unique crossover between pop music and television. Her meeting with Mariska Hargitay in 2015, and Hargitay's later adoption of a cat named "Karma" in tribute to Olivia and Swift, further cemented this link. Olivia's legacy is thus a blend of commercial influence, breed awareness, and pop culture integration, illustrating how a single animal can shape public discourse and media.
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