Reporter Apologizes to Taylor Swift

As one of the most successful artists of all time, Taylor Swift is used to stories about her being splashed all over the headlines. What she may not be accustomed to, however, is a reporter issuing a public apology for an erroneous story, but that's exactly what just happened.

The songstress faced a media backlash after Connecticut newspaper  the Day published a story alleging that Swift was improperly creating a sea wall in front of her massive beachfront house in Rhode Island, which she purchased for $17 million. The story accused her of building a large beach wall on what used to be a public beach, therefore limiting the public beach access for her own private residence.

But now, the author of that story says he's sorry for creating so much negative attention toward the 24-year-old.

"Because I would like to start the New Year off well, I want to begin with an apology," the writer, David Collins, begins.

"I'm sorry, Taylor Swift, for the scorched-earth worldwide news coverage on gossip pages that I apparently triggered with a column over the weekend, about the work on the sea wall at your Watch Hill house.

I gather you must be used to it.

Indeed, we first heard from your publicist hours after the column was posted online Sunday morning. She must have known what was coming.

My first inkling about how sensational it might get was a headline someone sent me from Gawker Tuesday morning: "Taylor Swift is (expletive) up the Rhode Island Coastline."

Wow. I have known of newspaper copy editors who in their wildest dreams never imagined being able to write that in a headline.

Collins goes on to comment on how incorrect some of the stories were that were published, adding that he feels a personal responsibility for the harsh words.

Taylor, why do they hate you so much? Alien brethren? Building your lair?

I feel badly about this because I suspect you know very little about the work being done. I'm sure you've got other things to focus on.

Collins also corrects some of his own reporting, adding that Swift does, indeed, have the appropriate permits and legal right to perform the necessary renovations, before concluding with his own well wishes for her in the new year.

Anyway, Happy New Year, Taylor.

I hope you have fun back in Watch Hill for the summer of 2014, even though it's not Connecticut.

We'll try to leave you alone.

Read the complete letter here.

Swift purchased the home in 2013, but hasn't had much time to personally spend at the 11,000 square foot house, since she has been busy with her worldwide Red Tour. She will wrap up the trek with a series of shows in London, as well as a stop in Berlin, before the tour wraps on Feb. 11.