Olivia has starred in the brand commercials ofKeds,Diet Coke,AT&T andDirecTV, and is the logo ofTaylor Swift Productions, Swift's in-house visual media studio. Often appearing in Swift'sInstagram posts, Olivia contributed to an increased popularity of Scottish Folds among the public.Comparethemarket.com estimated Olivia's net worth at US$97 million in 2018, making her thesecond-richest cat in the world, behind the lateGrumpy Cat. Films likeDeadpool 2 (2018) andArgylle (2024) featured references to Olivia.
Olivia Benson was purchased by Swift in June 2014 as a kitten.[1] She hasosteochondrodysplasia,[2][3] a degenerative joint disease, which affects all Scottish Fold cats.[4][5] Olivia, like Swift's two other cats, is named after a fictional character, taking afterOlivia Benson, the main protagonist of American crime drama seriesLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit played byMariska Hargitay.[1] Swift's eldest cat, Meredith Grey, is another Scottish Fold, named aftertheGrey's Anatomy character, and the youngest cat is Benjamin Button, aRagdoll named after the titular character ofThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button.[6] Meredith and Olivia's names, Swift toldRolling Stone in September 2014, were themed after "strong, complex, independent women".[7] In September 2014, Swift was pictured carrying Olivia around the streets ofNew York City; Swift noted that this was due to Olivia's inability to cope with being in a cat carrier.[8]
In October 2014,Keds released an advertising campaign featuring Olivia for their "Sneaky Cat" shoes, which featured Swift's birthday on the back, to promote Swift's album1989.[9] Later that month, Olivia featured in aDiet Coke commercial in which Swift drank Diet Coke as more and more kittens appeared with every sip.[6]
In November 2014, Olivia appeared in a Swift music video ("Blank Space") for the first time.[10] In 2015, Olivia met American actressMariska Hargitay, who played the Olivia Benson character inLaw & Order.[11] In 2017,Ed Sheeran bought his own Scottish Fold,[12] Calippo,[13] to match Swift's cats.[14] Increased interest in the breed as a result of Swift and Sheeran posting them to theirInstagram accounts prompted theBritish Veterinary Association to call for a ban on the breed and forVeterinary Record to review its use in adverts.[15] Later that year, Olivia appeared in an outtake of anAT&T commercial, and the following year she appeared in aDirecTV commercial in which Swift rode a giant "caticorn" version of Olivia.[note 1][16]
In 2018,Comparethemarket.com announced their Pet Rich List, which valued Olivia at $97,000,000, making her the world's second-richest cat, behindGrumpy Cat.[17] In April 2019, Olivia and Meredith appeared in Swift's "Me!" music video, along with Benjamin,[18] who Swift subsequently adopted.[19] The cats also appeared inMiss Americana, Swift's 2020 autobiographical documentary film.[20][21] In May 2023, a sleeping Olivia featured in the music video for Swift's "Karma".[22]
In a scene in the 2018 superhero filmDeadpool 2, the lead characterWade Wilson is seen wearing a t-shirt bearing images of Olivia and Meredith.[26]
Olivia influenced some aspects of the spy filmArgylle (2024), directed byMatthew Vaughn; one of the film's official posters was inspired by a shot of Olivia in a cat carrier fromMiss Americana.[20][21]
