Taylor Swift has performed for millions of fans, but one of her longest-running routines has a rather smaller audience.
The singer revealed that she still speaks in Napoleon Dynamite voices with her childhood best friend, Abigail Anderson Berard, an inside joke that has followed them from high school into married life.
"We still do this," Taylor admitted. "It's something our husbands have to put up with."
© Getty ImagesTaylor shared the story during a Toy Story 5 screening and Q&A in New York City on Sunday, November 1, explaining how the film had reminded her of finding a friend who shared her particular sense of humor.
Taylor Swift shares her enduring childhood habit
Joining filmmaker Andrew Stanton for the discussion, Taylor wore a black long-sleeved top with a black leather pencil skirt and matching heels.
The conversation turned personal when she explained why the friendship between the film's characters Bonnie and Blaze had resonated with her.
Taylor recalled arriving in Nashville at 14 and being the new student at school, where she met Abigail. The pair quickly discovered a shared enthusiasm for impressions of characters from the 2004 comedy.
© WireImageMore than two decades later, those voices are still part of their conversations. Taylor even demonstrated an impression as she told the audience about the tradition.
Taylor's reference to their husbands included Travis Kelce, while Abigail married Charles Berard in 2022.
Taylor Swift's friendship inspired "Fifteen"
Longtime fans will already know Abigail's name from Taylor's music. Their friendship helped inspire "Fifteen," the coming-of-age track on her 2008 album Fearless, which looks back at the excitement, uncertainty and heartbreak of starting high school.
© Getty Images for TAS Rights ManaAbigail also appeared in the song's music video and has remained part of Taylor's life through her transition from teenage country singer to global superstar.
She accompanied Taylor to the 2015 Grammy Awards and appeared in her 2020 Netflix documentary, Miss Americana. In 2024, Taylor celebrated another milestone when Abigail welcomed her first child.
Their friendship has included time with their partners, too. Abigail and Charles joined Taylor and Travis for the Tight End University concert in Nashville in June 2025.
Taylor Swift's personal connection to "Toy Story 5"
Sunday's appearance also brought Taylor back to a project she helped soundtrack.
She and Jack Antonoff wrote and produced "I Knew It, I Knew You" for Toy Story 5, joining a film whose score was composed by returning franchise favorite Randy Newman. The song was inspired by Jessie, the cowgirl introduced in Toy Story 2.
© Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for TASTaylor previously explained that seeing an early screening sparked her idea for the track.
But at the New York discussion, it was the film's portrayal of friendship that brought her thoughts back to Abigail, and the pleasure of being understood by someone who has known her since long before the stadium tours. As Taylor put it: "That hit me so hard watching the film."
