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Even those who appear to be the captains of their own ship often have someone calling the shots behind the scenes.

For example, your manager at work probably has to report to an owner or CEO; Donald Trump is frequently forced to publicly kiss Vladimir Putin’s ring — and Kim Kardashian is at the beck and call of some very wealthy and powerful media magnates.

Kim Kardashian on Watch What Happens Live
(Bravo)

Yes, it’s not just Kris Jenner who gets to tell Kim what to do.

Several of Kim’s revenue streams — including, most importantly the E! reality show that remains the crown jewel of her family’s media empire — fall under the umbrella of the Universal group.

And it seems that Kim’s loyalty to the corporation recently created a conflict of interest.

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You see, after 15 years with Big Machine Records, Taylor Swift has signed with Universal Music.

And as you may recall, Kim and Taylor have been feuding since 2016, when Kim’s husband, Kanye West, rapped about Taylor in a way that Swift described as "disrespectful."

Kanye claimed he cleared the lyrics with Swift before the song was released; Taylor said he was lying; Kim clapped back with "receipts" … the whole thing was a big mess.

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian for Versace
(Getty)

And now it’s all over by decree of Kim’s bosses.

“Since Taylor signed her new record deal, she is off limits to Kim,” a source close to the situation tells Radar Online.

"Their war of words is over.”

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There were reports last week of Kim squashing her beef with Taylor.

She even seemed to wave the white flag by posting a Snapchat in which she’s listening to Swift’s song "Delicate."

During an appearance on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live, Kim revealed she’s "over" her feud with Taylor, saying:

Khloe, Kim, and Kourtney Kardashian on Watch What Happens Live
(Bravo)

“No [I haven’t had any communication with Taylor], I feel like we’ve all moved on."

At the time, Kim was widely praised for being the bigger person — but now, we know that she may not have had any choice in the matter.

“Universal owns E! so Kim has to be nice,” the source adds bluntly.

Taylor Swift Opens AMAs
(Getty)

“She was told by the bigwigs.”

Yes, even the wealthy and powerful have to take orders from time to time.

Of course, their commands are more "make peace with this A-list celebrity" and less "stop putting so much salt on the fries."