It may have only been a month since reports of Taylor Swift‘s split from ex Joe Alwyn were made public, but rumors are already swirling about the singer’s love life. The latest? That she’s dating Matty Healy, frontman of The 1975. It’s no secret the pair have been friends for years, but the internet is going wild with news that they may have taken their relationship to the next level. So what’s actually going on?
On May 5, the rumors began to look a whole lot more likely when Healy was spotted at Swift’s Nashville show. In videos and photos shared online, Healy can be seen hanging out with a few other people in what appears to be a gated off, VIP section of the stadium. Fans also shared videos of him dancing to “Shake It Off” on Twitter. It’s also worth noting that Healy’s close friend, Phoebe Bridgers, joined Swift on stage during the show.
The “All Too Well” singer is currently on her Eras Tour, and her stop in Nashville proved to be an important one. Not only did her maybe-new-boyfriend show up, but the pop star also announced the upcoming release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).”
News of Swift and Healy’s rumored relationship first broke via the front page of The Sun, which revealed on May 4 that the pair have allegedly begun dating. “She and Matty are madly in love. It’s super-early days, but it feels right. They first dated, very briefly, almost ten years ago but timings just didn’t work out,” a source told The Sun. Swift was indeed spotted wearing a The 1975 band T-shirt back in 2014.
Years later, Healy would open up about his brief connection with Swift and the ensuing wave of speculation and how it made him certain he would never date Swift. “I feel like I’m not very good at relationships,” Matty told Q Magazine (via NME) in March 2016, adding that he was afraid of just becoming “Taylor Swift’s boyfriend.” “The reason I mention that is because if I had [properly] gone out with Taylor Swift the first thing, I would’ve [thought was] ‘F*cking hell I am NOT being Taylor Swift’s boyfriend,'” he said, admitting, “That’s also a man thing, a de-masculinating, emasculating thing.”
That May, Healy would walk back those comments slightly in a string of tweets (per Yahoo). “I had fears of being ‘somebody’s boyfriend’ (remember this is all speculation as we never dated!) before even being recognized for my music or presence as a person in my own right,” he wrote, continuing, “I was being HONEST about all the thoughts, feelings, and situations that come along when people ASSUME you are dating the most famous woman on the planet. I am telling you from experience it’s an all-consuming whirlwind and something that for me elicited a lot of self-exploration.”
Healy went on to praise Swift’s character, writing, “I have said on countless occasions that I found her to be one of the most gracious, hard working, creatively gifted, and beautiful women that I have had the pleasure to meet. I personally have a lot of respect and admiration for her.”
Despite what the most recent sources are saying, Healy confirmed the pair never dated, concluding, “I didn’t even date Taylor, but the media’s incessant and brutal obsession with her has meant that even a guy who DIDN’T DATE HER has been so battered by their never-ending questions that he’s inevitably said something that can be lifted and moulded into something that resembles ‘shade.’ It’s really sad.”
Since then, Swift has been linked with Harry Styles, Calvin Harris, and Tom Hiddleston before settling down with British actor Alwyn. The couple were together for six years and lived in London before splitting this year. “Taylor and Joe actually split up back in February, so there was absolutely no crossover. Both Matty and Taylor have been touring over the past few weeks, so it’s been a lot of FaceTiming and texting but she cannot wait to see him again. But as two international megastars, they understand the pressures of one another’s jobs better than anyone, and are incredibly supportive of their respective careers,” a source claimed to The Sun. Healy also reportedly split from FKA Twigs last year.
Fans of The 1975 went wild earlier this year when Swift made a surprise appearance during the first night of the band’s At Their Very Best tour at London’s 02 Arena in January. She performed a cover of “The City” and her hit track “Anti-Hero.” After the show, Swift met Healy’s mom, “Loose Women”‘s Denise Welch, who excitedly posted a photo of the pair hugging on Instagram. So if the rumors are true, Swift has already ticked the meet-the-family box.
But is this rumored romance the real deal, or speculation? Reps for Swift and Healy did not respond to POPSUGAR’s request for confirmation. Whether friends or something more, we’re here for a “Love Story.”