The vintage safari-themed video, which premiered just before the live telecast of the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday (30Aug15), features the singer and actor Scott Eastwood portraying silver screen lovers on location in Africa, but the clip has caused controversy due to the lack of black men and women included in the shoot.

A number of media outlets took note of the lack of diversity in the video's cast, and an article on NPR.org took aim at Swift and her collaborators for thinking "it was OK to film a video that presents a glamorous version of the white colonial fantasy of Africa".

Now Kahn, who also filmed Swift's Bad Blood video, has fired back at the detractors amid allegations of racism, taking to Twitter on Wednesday (02Sep15) to write, "My long time producer Jil Hardin who did Power/Rangers, Blank Space, Wildest Dreams is a (super hot) black woman FYI (for your information)".

He also clarifies, "Fyi I say we shot it in 'Africa' because I shot it on more than one country. Botswanna (sic) and South Africa."

Kahn goes on to lament the negative attention his work has received, adding, "I work with the most famous people in the world...and I would never want to be famous. People take shots at you 24/7. It's nuts."

Swift has yet to respond to the furore.

Proceeds from downloads of Wildest Dreams will benefit "wild animal conservation" through the African Parks Foundation of America.