Taylor Swift’s brother Austin was spotted out and about in New York City with actress Natalie Portman, sending fans into a frenzy as they realized that the singer was not an only child.

A Reddit post went viral earlier in the week when a photo of his friendly interaction with the Black Swan star was posted to the website, prompting a sea of commenters to share their shock that they never knew about Taylor’s younger sibling.

Austin, 33, sported a plaid shirt and black trousers in the photo, and looked relaxed as he chatted with a group of friends on the sidewalk.

Natalie looked equally casual in a black T-shirt, denim cut-off shorts and a beige bag with tassels hanging from it as she laughed at his joke. She wore her brown locks in gentle waves down her back and added a pair of dark sunglasses. 

The Reddit thread commenters couldn’t believe that Austin appeared so down-to-earth despite his mega-famous older sister.

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“Taylor has a brother? I must have been living under a rock,” one user commented. “Didn’t even know she had a brother until now,” another said, while a third chimed in, “Same, I had to do a double take.” 

Despite their shock, Taylor and Austin have frequently professed their love for each other on social media in the past, and the actor has joined his sister at several award shows like the Golden Globes and the Country Music Awards.

Behind the scenes

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Austin studied film and acting at the University of Notre Dame and made his film debut in 2016 alongside Pierce Brosnan in I.T. He has also appeared in We Summon the Darkness, Braking for Whales and Cover Versions. 

“I’m pretty reserved in most circumstances, so [acting] never seemed like it would be a good fit. But I kind of got thrust into it and realized that it could be an opportunity to be creative,” he told People in 2018.

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He has worked with his sister on multiple projects, including as an executive producer on her Folklore: The Long Pond Sessions, and as a producer on her “I Bet You Think About Me” music video, directed by her friend Blake Lively. 

“I was so lucky to get to work with Blake, Taylor, and the entire amazing team behind the video for “I Bet You Think About Me” and now I am so proud and thankful that we’ve been nominated for the ACM award for video of the year!” Austin wrote on Instagram when the news was announced.

A proud Swiftie

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The film buff, who is three years younger than Taylor, also has a deep respect for his sister and credits her as a huge inspiration to him. 

“She found singing, and I knew from very early on that that was her direction. She was never going to quit; that was her thing, that was her life,” he told Vanity Fair. “And I was always a little bit, you know, doing this, doing that.”

He continued: “Something I learned myself, and learned through watching her, is respect. You just respect everyone’s time, everyone that you’re working with. They’re all there, it’s all their lives, and you need to put the work in to be worth that.”