Taylor Swift has entered her Meghan Markle era. But after this heartless move against Blake Lively's children, she should just embrace what she really is: MAUREEN CALLAHAN

Taylor Swift may be keeping a low profile, but make no mistake: Swift Inc is furiously trying to crisis-manage their way out of Blake Lively's life.

It's just good corporate governance after that big brand merger – otherwise known as the wedding of Taylor and Travis Kelce – held last month at Madison Square Garden.

The latest reports out of Swift's c-suite: Taylor had no choice – none! – but to sever all ties with her three small godchildren, ages 11 to six, because their mother is former BFF Blake.

Heartless, one might say. Cruel. Scorched earth, even – but hey, that's been Taylor's brand all along.

Compete with her, displease her, dump her after dating for five minutes and you're going to get it. The only question is: How?

Will her revenge take the form of one song or an entire album?

If you're a rival female artist, will Taylor release yet another iteration of an existing record to block you from hitting No 1 – as music critics and fans allege she has done to Billie Eilish and Charlie xcx.

If you outlive your usefulness to her, or if your scandals threaten her squeaky-clean image, how will she ghost you? Quietly, as she did in the past with her newly-rekindled BFF Karlie Kloss?

Or loudly, as she's doing here to her three former godchildren and their mother Blake?

According to an exclusive Daily Mail report, the 36-year-old Swift felt that she had 'no choice' other than to 'remove herself' from the children's lives.

Note the language. It's passive. It reeks of martyrdom. Taylor – not any of her godchildren – is the true victim here.

Yes, a woman who has been famous since her teenage years, who has become a self-made billionaire, is just a fawn in the woods.

How was she to know that her one-time best friend Blake was a snake in the grass?

This is some needle Taylor's attempting to thread. No matter the circumstances of this falling-out – and we'll get to what Taylor's camp is using as both offense and defense – most people take the request to become a godparent solemnly.

To agree to that role, whether in a religious or secular sense, is to vow that you will be a guiding light for that child forever.

For Taylor? Not so much, it seems.

Forgive me if I find this explanation, from a source close to Taylor, difficult to believe: 'It was one of the toughest decisions she's ever had to make.'

If so, why are sources announcing it to the media? Is Taylor trying to get ahead of Blake? Has Blake threatened to spill about Taylor's abandonment of her daughters?

My educated guess is yes. The paramount concern here seems not to be the children but retaining mega-fame, the public's affection and attendant wealth.

'It was very emotional,' this source close to Swift continued, 'because she loves the girls. It hurt her heart, but she had no choice given the circumstances.'

Really? These people have agents, lawyers, managers, publicists and representatives. Taylor couldn't even communicate through an app, as the most bitterly divorced parents do, to arrange a continued presence in these girls' lives?

Wait! I spoke too soon. It seems Taylor may have thought of that.

'There was never an agreement in writing about her being the girls' godmother,' this source said. 'It was a verbal one.'

How out of touch are these people? Most godparents are never asked to 'put it in writing.'

Just goes to show you how calloused one becomes at this level of fame. How tone-deaf.

Sure, of course Taylor, America understands: You agreed to be godmother to not one, not two, but all three of Blake's daughters with Ryan Reynolds – also revealed, through discovery in their lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, to be a terrible person (just my opinion).

There's no way Taylor can be as smart and savvy as she is and not know who these people were. It's all too convenient to play, yet again, the victim.

It's a role that's wearing thin. It's not a good look on a middle-aged global superstar.

Why not just embrace being a bitch? Madonna's done it forever and people love her for it – because it feels authentic.

But no: Days after that first report, insiders doubled down. A source told the Daily Mail exclusively that the final straw for Swift was Lively allegedly threatening to release ten years' worth of 'intimate' text messages unless Swift posted her sorrow that Lively couldn't join her at this year's Super Bowl.

'It was the ultimate blow to their friendship,' the source told the Daily Mail. 'There was no going back from that.'

A source close to Lively told the Daily Mail that 'Blake has never threatened to leak Taylor's personal or private text messages.'

Oh – and if the stench of a famous fairy godmother publicly disavowing her three young goddaughters still lingers, Swift's camp issued an update a mere two days after that report!

Taylor, a close source told the Daily Mail exclusively, has a newfound 'bliss' as Mrs Travis Kelce.

Meet Taylor the Trad Wife!

Yes, the woman who circled the globe twice on her Eras tour, whose decades-long ambition has been nothing less than vaulting, is now happily domesticated.

'She has been spending her days lazing about as she cooks dinner and bakes bread for her new husband,' says the source.

She's positively Markle-a-vellian!

'She has become quite the chef and is trying a lot of Italian dishes and learning Italian at the same time, little bits, and drinking white wine.'

How wholesome.

'She has also been with her cats and Travis' dog', the source said. 'They love their fur children and are nesting with them. She said they all get along because they got the dog as a tiny puppy and the cats took to the dog, so no fights'.

Hey – at least the animals get along!