The pair was first linked in 2014, but didn't enter into a relationship -- albeit a brief one -- until 2023.
Matty Healy wasn't The One for Taylor Swift. After Swift's split from Joe Alwyn, and before her romance with Travis Kelce, the singer was briefly linked to the British musician, who's the frontman of The 1975.
While Healy and Swift's brief 2023 was front page news, the singers were first linked nearly a decade earlier. Back in 2014, they exchanged phone numbers, publicly supported each other, and had a flirtation, but never officially entered into a relationship.
That changed after Swift and Alwyn ended things in 2023, but the long-awaited romance only lasted a month.
Now, fans are revisiting the fling in the wake of Swift's The Tortured Poets Department double album release on Friday, with many speculating that Healy may have served as the inspiration for some of Swift's new songs.
Keep reading for a full timeline of Swift and Healy's fleeting relationship.
November 2014
The pair are thought to have met for the first time when Swift, along with pals Selena Gomez and Ellie Goulding, attended The 1975's Los Angeles concert in 2014. Shortly thereafter, Swift was photographed wearing a shirt advertising The 1975, and Healy was spotted in a shirt promoting the singer's album, 1989.
Healy seemingly confirmed that he met Swift at his concert later that month, telling radio show Shazam Top 20 (via E! News), "I met Taylor Swift. That was really nice. We exchanged numbers. Let's see what happens."
As for if he'd date Swift, Healy said, "I mean bloody hell, what am I going to do? Go out with Taylor Swift? She's a sensation, I wouldn't say no."
December 2014
The romance rumors continued to swirl when Swift attended another The 1975 concert, this time with Lily Aldridge and Karlie Kloss, but Healy was quick to shut down speculation the following month.
"We met each other, we exchanged numbers in the same way that a lot of people in this kind of world do, and we spoke occasionally," he told Australia's 2DayFM (per E! News). "She's the biggest pop star in the world and I'm in Australia. There's no relationship or anything happening. It's just funny how people really, really buy into that."
February 2015
The pair continued to keep in touch, even hanging out at a London party alongside Karlie Kloss, Ellie Goulding and Nick Grimshaw.
March 2016
In an interview with Q Magazine, Healy said it would've been "emasculating" for him to date Swift, with whom he had a "flirtation."
"I don't do anything else, right, so it doesn't leave a lot of room for me going out, or shagging someone," he told the outlet, according to ELLE. "So the one time I did have a flirtation with a girl it ends up going everywhere…. I mean, I got on E! News and people were like, 'Who's Matt Healy?' so that was cool, but I didn’t make a big deal out of it myself."
"It's not really anything to talk about, because if she wasn't Taylor Swift we wouldn't be talking about her," he continued. "She wasn't a big impact on my life. It's just interesting to me how interested the world is about Taylor Swift."
He added, "If I had gone out with Taylor Swift I would've been, 'F**king hell! I am not being Taylor Swift's boyfriend.' You know, 'F**k. That.' That's also a man thing, a de-masculinating, emasculating thing."
Healy released an open letter shortly thereafter, claiming that his quotes were "totally taken out of context." He went on the clarify that he and Swift never dated, but, amid speculation that they did, he was "immersed in a celebrity world that I found confusing and scary."
"At that time," he wrote, "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."
As for what he thinks about Swift, Healy wrote, "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."
September 2022
Amid rumors that The 1975 would be featured on Swift's album, Midnights, Healy took to social media to call the speculation "fake news." However, the following month, Healy revealed that his band did record a collaboration with Swift for her album, but it didn't make the cut.
"It was for reasons that are not to be criticized," he said. "She's amazing."
January 2023
Swift delighted the crowd at The 1975's London show when she made a surprise appearance to perform her song, "Anti-Hero," for the first time. She also covered the band's track, "The City."
May 2023
The month after ET exclusively reported that Swift had called it quits with Joe Alwyn after six years together, Healy attended the Nashville stop of Swift's Eras Tour. They were photographed together shortly thereafter, and were even spotted holding hands during one outing.
Around the same time, a source told ET that the pair reconnected thanks to their mutual pal, Jack Antonoff.
"Taylor and Matty like each other," another source told ET. "Taylor has a crush on Matty and they are having a good time hanging out. Matty also thinks Taylor is awesome and incredibly talented, too."
A separate source told ET that "Taylor and Matty have known each other and have history," noting, "there's a comfortability factor there, but also feelings of excitement."
That same month, as Healy attended multiple Eras Tour performances, he and Swift were spotted exiting the Electric Lady recording studio in New York City.
"Matty joined her in the studio too, once staying until after 2 a.m.," a source said at the time.
June 2023
After a brief romance, Swift and Healy called it quits, with a source telling ET, "They are both extremely busy and realized they're not really compatible with each other."
"Taylor's friends want what's best for her and aren't shocked that their relationship fizzled out since she recently got out of a long-term relationship," the source added.
In the wake of the split, Swift continued her Eras Tour and began a relationship with Travis Kelce, while Healy announced an indefinite hiatus for his band.
April 2024
Swift's 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, was released on April 19. Fans were surprised by much of the content, as it seemed to focus on Healy, despite the short-lived nature of their romance.
The title track of Swift's album is believed to be about Healy. In the song, Swift sings, "You left your typewriter at my apartment / Straight from the tortured poets department / I think some things I never say / Like, 'Who uses a typewriter anyway?'"
That line points to Healy thanks to a past video interview he did with GQ, during which he said, "It's not that there's any kind of like, romance to having a notebook, but I really like typewriters, as well. I don't have one with me because that is really impractical, but the thing is with typewriters and writing on pen to paper, there's kind of an element of like commitment that goes with the ceremony of it. Therefore, it requires you to concentrate a bit better."
Swift's songs "But Daddy I Love Him," "Fresh Out the Slammer," "Guilty As Sin?," "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)" and "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" are also believed to be about Healy.
When paparazzi caught up with Healy shortly after the album's release, he reacted to his so-called "diss track" on TTPD.
"I haven't really listened to that much of it," he said, "but I'm sure it's good."
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