Xenna Kristian, a British teen who cashes in on her resemblance to Taylor Swift, claims she was beaten by classmates because of their jealousy.
“They must be jealous that I’m going off to do something with my life,” Xenna said of the incident at Shropshire College. “Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I’m still shaken.”
Xenna began making appearances as a Taylor Swift look-a-like earlier this year after receiving comments about their similarities. Shortly afterward, she claims that classmates began bullying her. The teasing reached a violent climax earlier this week when the 18-year-old was allegedly pulled off her chair and kicked in the face by a classmate.
“I tried to get her off me but my friends had to help. The teachers didn’t do anything,” said Xenna to The Daily Mail. “I never expected anything like this to happen. It’s not nice to see people being nasty about you.”
The attack was reported to local police, but a spokesperson declined to add more details.
“I’ve had to cancel three appearances this week,” Xenna said. “If my jaw is broken I could be out of action for two months.”
Xenna, who is represented by a modeling agency, has been paid to appear at charity events and private gatherings. In addition to their blond locks and dainty features, Xenna strives to share Taylor’s mannerisms.
“But now I am starting work as a lookalike I am trying to perfect her accent and singing exactly how she does,” she said in an interview with Shropshire Star in April. “I’m also thinking about the clothes she wears. She is quite quirky and has her own style but I like the stuff she is seen in.”
In a 2010 interview with Daily Finance, Dot Findlater, a prominent doppelgänger agent, said that entertainers who bear a strong resemblance to a popular celebrity can earn up to $10,000 per performance.
With that kind of money on the line, it’s easy to see why Xenna would use her looks to her advantage. However, even since the attack, many of her acquaintances have called her out as being attention seeking.
Ultimately, the acting student wants to breakaway from Taylor’s shadow and be known as an individual.
“Hopefully it will kick-start my acting career. I want to be known as Xenna,” she said before the attack. “I would love to get into TV work but like doing theatre stuff too.”
