Denise Welch, the mother of Matty Healy from the band The 1975, has spoken out about her son’s brief romance with Taylor Swift. Healy and Swift dated for about a month in May 2023, but the relationship ended quickly. Now, Welch says it has been hard to stay quiet about what really happened between the two stars.
Recently, the 67-year-old actress appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, where she shared her thoughts about Swift’s album Tortured Poet’s Department. Many people believe the album is about Swift’s relationships, including her short romance with Healy. When host Andy Cohen asked about the album, Welch made it clear she was not happy about the situation.
Welch said that “not being her mother-in-law is a role that I am glad that I lost.” The audience was shocked by her comment. She quickly added that she does not “have anything against Taylor at all” and called the whole situation “tricky.” Welch explained that Swift writes albums about her relationships, while others cannot speak up about their side of the story.
Source claims Taylor Swift broke Matty Healy’s heart, not the other way around
A source close to the family told Us Weekly that the real story is different from what people think. The source said it was actually Swift who hurt Healy, not the other way around. “It’s a horrible thing to have the most famous person in the world saying that your son broke her heart when it was the other way around, and then you can’t even defend yourself,” the source explained.
I’ll never forget that glorious few weeks where it seemed like a very real possibility that Denise Welch could become Taylor Swift’s mother in law
— Hello, This is Ivan (@hellothisisivan) July 27, 2025
The source also said that Welch’s comment about being a mother-in-law shows how serious Healy was about the relationship. “She’s saying the mother-in-law stuff because that’s where Matty thought it was headed,” they said. The source added that any mother would find it hard to watch their child get hurt, especially when the other person is as famous as Swift.
According to the insider, Welch has tried to stay quiet about the situation for a long time. “Any mum can imagine what it would feel like, but then you have to multiply it by a million because of how famous Taylor is,” they said. The source explained that it has been “bloody hard” for Welch to keep quiet and that she is now speaking up because enough time has passed. They said Healy “got hurt” in the relationship and that the split was “terrible” for him.
Both Swift and Healy have moved on since their brief romance ended. Swift, who is 35, is now in a well-known relationship with Travis Kelce, a player for the Kansas City Chiefs football team. Healy, 36, is engaged to model and actress Gabbriette Bechtel. During her TV appearance, Welch said the family has “moved on” from the drama and praised Healy’s fiancee, calling her “gorgeous” and “amazing.”
