When Denise Welch, the outspoken mother of The 1975’s weird frontman Matty Healy, recently shared her thoughts about Taylor Swift, it was more than just a fleeting soundbite.
Appearing on ‘Watch What Happens Live’, Welch couldn’t resist a quip when asked about her son’s high-profile ex-girlfriend.
Smiling, she told host Andy Cohen, “Not being her mother-in-law is a role that I am glad that I lost.” The crowd laughed, but Welch’s tone carried the weight of more than just casual banter.
She clarified her position, adding, “I don’t have anything against her at all. It’s just a tricky situation. You’re not allowed to say anything, and then she writes a whole album about it.
“But Matty has taken it all in completely good graces. He’s very happy with his amazing fiancée Gabbriette, who is gorgeous. So, we’ve moved on.”
Yet those close to the Healy family say there is more behind the British actress’s remarks.
According to reports, Welch felt forced into silence while Swift‘s relationship with her son played out across international headlines, especially as speculation swirled about Swift‘s new songs being inspired by their brief romance.
“Denise is still Matty‘s mum at the end of the day, and it was bloody hard for her to stay quiet during the whole ordeal,” a source told Us Weekly.
“Now that time has gone by, she’s saying what she can because she knows that her son got hurt.”
Why the Healy family felt blindsided by Swift’s album
For Matty Healy, the aftermath of his relationship with Swift meant more than just a change in status.
As one friend put it, “It’s a horrible thing to have the most famous person in the world saying your son broke her heart when it was the other way around, and then you can’t even defend yourself.”
Those words, echoed by his mother, reflect a sense of helplessness the Healys felt as Swift‘s music and fan base dissected the romance in real time.
Welch’s “mother-in-law” joke, though delivered with a grin, points to the expectations both families once held.
“She’s saying the mother-in-law stuff because that’s where Matty thought it was headed,” the insider explained. “She’s entitled to her opinion.”
While Taylor Swift has never directly named Matty Healy as her muse, fans and critics alike have drawn lines between her lyrics and the short-lived romance.
For Welch, who watched her son navigate global scrutiny, the pressure to stay silent was enormous. “You can’t blame a mum for standing up for her child,” the source said.
Matty Healy, meanwhile, has since found new love with Gabbriette, and seems intent on putting the past behind him.
Taylor Swift, for her part, remains a chart-topping force whose storytelling has become as famous for its candor as its ambiguity.
Welch‘s recent comments have reopened a public conversation about fame, heartbreak, and family loyalty.
As Swift and Healy both move forward, Welch‘s words linger as a reminder that, behind every headline and hit song, there are families grappling with the aftermath of love lost in the limelight.
