Matty Healy’s mother took a public swipe at Taylor Swift this week, suggesting she’s glad her son’s romance with the 14-time Grammy winner was short-lived.
Appearing Thursday on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live,” Denise Welch was asked for her thoughts on “The Tortured Poets Department,” Swift’s blockbuster 2024 album that contains numerous songs believed to have been inspired by Healy.
“Obviously, on pain of death can I talk about that episode, but not being her mother-in-law is a role that I am glad that I lost,” the British actor and “Loose Women” panelist told host Andy Cohen.
After her comment drew audible gasps from the audience, Welch clarified that she doesn’t “have anything against” Swift, adding: “It was just, you know … it was tricky.”
Still, she couldn’t resist another dig.
“Listen, you’re not allowed to say anything, and then she writes a whole album about it,” she quipped.
Healy, who is the frontman of the pop-rock band The 1975, and Swift were first romantically linked in May 2023. Though they were photographed together on numerous occasions, the pair never publicly confirmed a relationship.
At the time, news of the romance drew backlash from many of Swift’s fans given Healy’s history of problematic comments about women and people of color, for which he later apologized.
About a month after Healy and Swift were spotted together, the relationship appeared to have run its course. Shortly after, Swift began dating her current boyfriend, NFL player Travis Kelce.
As for Healy, he and Gabriella Bechtel, a model and musician, confirmed their engagement in June 2024. Though the timeline of that relationship is unclear, the couple were spotted at a New York Fashion Week event in late 2023, roughly the same time Kelce and Swift went public with their romance.
In her “Watch What Happens Live” appearance, Welch assured viewers her son has dealt with the media speculation surrounding his breakup with one of the world’s biggest pop stars “all in completely good grace,” and that he and his fiancée are “very happy” together.
“So we’ve moved on,” she added.
