But Swift’s heart might just be on the mend. She has been linked to The 1975 frontman Matthew “Matty” Healy, 34 – and Swifties everywhere want to know more about the rocker their country girl has fallen for.

Here’s the man who you probably never thought Taylor Swift would date …

So, are Taylor Swift and Matty Healy really dating – and is it serious?

British media reports that although the couple have apparently only just started dating, friends say it “feels right”. Both musicians have been on tour and their romance reportedly involves lots of FaceTiming and texting. There’s even speculation that Healy will be in Nashville to support Swift for the next leg of her tour. It’s a mammoth move considering the lengths Swift went to to hide her relationship with Alwyn. The former couple were hardly spotted together and many even believed they were secretly married.

Speculation about Swift and Healy mounted in January when Healy’s mum, Denise Welch, posted an image of herself with Swift at the O2 music venue in London. Welch is a famous UK actress and her son’s band, The 1975, had a show on the night. In the comments section, the official Instagram account for the O2 Arena wrote “calling it already. This is the photo of 2023”, seemingly alluding to something bigger than just Swift making an impromptu appearance.

Swift offered another surprise during the show, performing her live debuts of songs “Anti-Hero” and cover of “The City”. NME reported that Healy, who usually kisses fans during his shows, refused to do it while Swift was there. “I’m not kissing anyone in front of Taylor Swift. In front of the queen? Have some respect,” he said.

They have history together too

Healy and Swift were first linked together 10 years ago, reports The Standard. But Healy later slammed the romance rumours, saying emphatically that “I am not being Taylor Swift’s boyfriend. You know. F*** that.” He also added that “that’s a man thing, a de-masculinating, emasculating thing”. Ouch.

The Standard reported he later said the comments were because of a clash of egos where he did not want to come off as second best.

How Matty Healy started out with his band, The 1975

Born Matthew Timothy Healy in London, England, 1989, the singer and guitarist started a band with his three school friends in a garage. Adam Hann, Ross Macdonald, George Daniel and Healy officially started as The 1975 in 2002. The pop rock band pulls inspiration from the sounds of the 1980s. Billboard reports the band initially battled to get attention and they started releasing EPs in 2012.

But soon they got gigs at small venues and had a loyal following of diehard supporters. In 2013, they got their big break and as the supporting act to The Rolling Stones in Hyde Park, London. Vogue reports that Healy’s war-cry after some audience members heckled them was “at least my band is supporting the Rolling Stones.”

Beating addiction

In an interview with Billboard, Healy admitted that he had smoked heroin since 2014. He said that, since childhood, he had a “deep, carnal desire to be sedated” and started smoking marijuana at an earlier age. He added that he turned to narcotics in an attempt to turn off the noise in his head.

He entered rehab in November 2017, explaining that his low moment came when he was discussing future music with his bandmates and described himself as the “main deal”.

He told Billboard that he turned to his bandmates to help him get into rehab. “People had started to lose respect for me, but not an irredeemable amount,” he said.

Now Healy focuses on staying healthy, telling the publication that he goes to the gym and “everyone feels good”.

Public outrage over his derogatory comments

Rolling Stone reported the comments came a month after the “Munch” rapper said she was obsessed with The 1975 during an interview with Elle. Healy tried to apologise during a show in Auckland, New Zealand, but was blasted by fans for the half-hearted attempt.

He said, “I just feel a bit bad, and I’m kind of a bit sorry if I’ve offended you. Ice Spice, I’m sorry. It’s not because I’m annoyed that me joking got misconstrued. It’s because I don’t want Ice Spice to think I’m a d***. I love you, Ice Spice. I’m so sorry.”

His mental health

Last year, Healy spoke about the impact of early romantic relationships on his mental health in an interview with The Guardian. He said that he had early sexual experiences that were difficult to deal with as he got older. The singer said his mental health came through “the negotiation of sex as a teenager and romantic relationships”. He also admitted that he was “sexualised to a certain extent” when The 1975 became famous. When this started to happen, he acknowledged there were still issues he needed to go through in therapy.

His break from social media

In April, Healy deactivated his Instagram account, telling fans during a concert in Adelaide, Australia that he “can’t perform off the stage any more as I just want to be a bloke”. He also said “the era of me being a f****** a**hole is coming to and end. I’ve had enough”.

Healy has become famous for his onstage antics, including kissing fans, eating raw meat and mimicking sexual acts.