The news of Joe Alwyn and Taylor Swift’s split shook the internet to its core. Some of us are still in denial over the breakup. Plenty celebrated Swift’s single era. But I don’t think anyone expected news to break that just weeks after her six-year relationship ended, she was reportedly back out on the town with Matty Healy, The 1975’s frontman.
On May 3, The Sun published an article claiming Swift and Healy are dating. Then on May 8, Entertainment Tonight published an article saying they “like each other,” and attributing their meeting to Jack Antonoff, a mutual friend and Bleachers frontman. Just over a month later, however, ET and TMZ both reported that the pair had broken up. Her Campus reached out to both Swift’s and Healy’s teams for comment on the dating rumors and reported breakup, but did not hear back by the time of publication.
After the Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) announcement, Blondie hasn’t let us catch our breath. Turns out, the relationship between Healy and Swift goes back all the way to 2014 (pre-Alwyn). I needed to sit down and sort everything about the new rumored beau out, so here’s a complete timeline of their (un)confirmed relationship.
2014: Healy’s crushin’ on Swift.
In November 2014, Healy met Swift after she attended one of his shows. Then he confessed his true thoughts on the interaction: “We exchanged numbers,” he tells the Australian radio show Shazam Top 20. “I mean, bloody hell, what am I going to do? Go out with Taylor Swift? She’s a sensation; I wouldn’t say no!”
Afterwards, they were seen wearing each other’s merch and relationship rumors started to fly, but it didn’t seem to go anywhere.
2016: Healy gets heated about Swift.
So, I didn’t know Healy had spoken on Miss Swift before. But he has. And honestly, it’s giving me the ick.
“She wasn’t a big impact on my life,” he said in an interview with Q magazine. “It’s just interesting to me how interested the world is about Taylor Swift. The reason I mention that is because if I had [properly] gone out with Taylor Swift, I would’ve been, ‘F*cking hell, I am not being Taylor Swift’s boyfriend. You know, ‘F*ck. That.’ That’s also a man thing, a demasculinizing, emasculating thing.”
Like, excuse me? Did he just straight up say dating Swift would be emasculating? Yes, he did. I guess he realized his mistake because he changed his tune later in the year during an interview with Elle.
“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,” he said. “I personally have a lot of respect and admiration for her. Why would I not?”
Why would he not? Um, maybe check your misogyny, buddy.
January 2023: Swift performs at The 1975 show.
Swift gave everyone a heart attack as she performed “Anti-Hero” live for the first time… at The 1975’s show. Then she did a full cover of their song “The City.” Interesting.
April 8, 2023: Swift and Alwyn’s breakup becomes public.
On April 8, the sky fell. Multiple publications started writing about Swift and Alwyn’s split.
MaY 3, 2023: Rumors start flying about Swift and Healy again.
Buckle up. This is where it gets serious. The Sun published their article on May 3, claiming the singers are dating with this cute quote included from a mysterious source: “She and Matty are madly in love. It’s super-early days, but it feels right. They first dated, very briefly, almost 10 years ago but timings just didn’t work out,” the source said. “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.”
Then the very next day, Healy threw “She’s American” back onto the setlist. A nod to “London Boy” and Swift’s past? During one of his shows in the Philippines, fans also noticed Healy mouth something like, “This one’s about you, you know who you are. I love you.”
Less than 24 hours later on May 5, Healy popped up in the crowd at the Eras Tour. And while singing “Cardigan,” fans noticed Swift mouthing the same message Healy did during his performance.
And on May 6, Healy not only attended the second night in Nashville, but he opened with Phoebe Bridgers and the boygenius crew. Screaming. That brings us to May 8, when ET broke the second biggest news story about Swift’s love life in 2023.
May 27, 2023: Healy (sort of) addresses the rumors.
At BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Scotland, Healy opened The 1975’s set with the closest thing fans have gotten to an acknowledgement of his and Swift’s relationship. Addressing the crowd, he said, “The band’s frontman refused to mention Swift by name, but said to the crowd: “”Is it all a bit? Is it sincere? Will he ever address it? All of these questions and more will be ignored in the next hour. Ladies and gentlemen, this is The 1975.” Notably, he never mentioned Swift by name.
June 5, 2023: Swift and Healy reportedly call it quits.
Well… that didn’t last long. On June 5, TMZ and ET both reported that Swift and Healy had broken up after only about a month together. The reason? According to a source close to the pair, it came down to busy schedules and a lack of compatibility with each other, not to mention Swift only just got out of a long-term relationship. Her Campus reached out to both Swift’s and Healy’s teams for comment on the breakup reports, but did not hear back.
Neither Swift or Healy have commented on their romance or split beyond Healy’s comments back in May, and honestly? It seems like they probably never will.