The Untold Truth Of Taylor Swift's Rumored Boyfriend Matty Healy
This feature discusses drug addiction.
Matty Healy is best known as the frontman and guitarist for the British rock band The 1975. Since forming in 2002, the band has become one of England's most popular rock acts, even if the music the group produces is somewhat difficult to categorize. "We are an alternative rock band with elements of R&B, shoegaze, and ... Michael Jackson?" Healy explained in a 2013 interview with HuffPost.
While there's no denying that the frontman's flamboyant stage performances and often-outrageous comments have brought him a significant level of fame (and occasional notoriety), his celebrity skyrocketed in the spring of 2023 when reports emerged that he'd been spending a lot of time with newly single Taylor Swift, following her breakup from actor Joe Alwyn. While Healy and Swift have yet to confirm or deny that they're officially an item — as of May 2023, at least — they've been spotted together repeatedly, and on an increasing basis. "Taylor and Matty like each other," a source told ET. "Taylor has a crush on Matty and they are having a good time hanging out. Matty also thinks Taylor is awesome and incredibly talented, too."
Whether or not the two actually are a couple, reports of Healy's romance with one of the world's biggest pop stars placed a wildly increased level of scrutiny on the British rocker. Still, whether you're a fan or only just discovering him, there's a lot you may not know about Matty Healy.
Healy was originally the drummer in The 1975
Back when the members of The 1975 first came together to form a band, Matty Healy was a part of it — but not as frontman. During an episode of "Actually Me" for GQ, Healy responded to online comments and rumors made about him. One such tale he addressed was pulled from his Wikipedia entry, claiming that the star was initially the drummer for The 1975, until the original singer exited in order to start a different band. "Yeah, that's pretty much true," Healy said, explaining that he not only played drums but also did some singing. Singer Elliott Williams, who went on to become the keyboard player for British rock group Editors, sang with The 1975 for one rehearsal but then bailed. That was when Healy was pushed up to the front as the band's singer, with George Daniel brought in on drums. Still, Healy hasn't abandoned the drums altogether. In 2019, he played drums on an EP for No Rome.
Healy got his first taste of rock stardom when he was just 13 years old while attending a Green Day concert when he was pulled onstage and allowed to play bass. Years later, Healy recounted that story for the members of Green Day, although it didn't get the kind of reception he had expected. "They didn't give a f***," he told GQ, claiming that they were all quite inebriated at the time. "... They weren't listening, but it is a nice full-circle moment, for me at least."
His parents are well-known British actors
Matty Healy comes from a show-business background. "As you know, my parents are actors," Healy once said onstage during a 1975 show. In fact, Healy is the progeny of Denise Welch and Tim Healy, fairly well-known television stars in his native Britain. In fact, Welch appeared in nearly 500 episodes of "Coronation Street," the wildly popular U.K. soap that has been a staple of British television since its debut in 1960. Among her numerous other screen credits are the British TV series "Hollyoaks" and "Waterloo Road." Since 2005, she's also been a regular on ITV chat show "Loose Women" — essentially Britain's version of "The View."
Welch's ex-husband, Tim Healy (they split in 2012), has also made an impact in the British entertainment industry. Among his more memorable projects have been shows like "The Grand," "Still Open All Hours" and the hit TV comedy "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet," starring as one of several British expat construction workers living in the German city of Düsseldorf.
In January 2023, prior to her son's rumored romance with Taylor Swift, The Sun reported that Welch spent some time hanging out with Swift backstage at a 1975 show. Meanwhile, Matty has also collaborated musically with his dad, with Tim writing the song "Don't Worry," which appeared on The 1975 album "Notes on a Conditional Form." The rock star told NME, "My dad wrote it in 1990 or something. I've heard that song my whole life, but there's never been a recording of it."
Matty Healy inspired Roddy the rat in Flushed Away
In 2006, Dreamworks released the animated movie "Flushed Away," focusing on the adventures of a rat named Roddy (voiced by Hugh Jackman) who encounters a bold new world in the sewers after he's flushed down a toilet. At some point, fans of The 1975 began to notice that Roddy bears more than a passing resemblance to Matty Healy, leading to a tsunami of rat-themed memes barraging the internet. As it turned out, the similarity between the rock star and the cartoon rat was not random. During a concert, Healy addressed the memes while speaking to the crowd. Reminding the audience that his mother is a famous actor, he went on to reveal what had previously been his secret connection to the film.
"Her godfather is a producer, and he produces movies," said Healy of his mom, via a fan-shot video posted on TikTok. "And I wasn't actually close with him until I was around about probably about 14 years old or something like that. But anyway, he was looking for inspiration for a movie he was producing called 'Flushed Away.' So, it is genuinely based on me. I know that seems ridiculous, but if you do enough internet research, you'll be able to find out that that's true," he said. "They did a good job, so maybe I am officially a f***ing rat now," he added with a laugh.
He's long wanted a musical collaboration with Taylor Swift
In 2023, it looked like Matty Healy was the new man in Taylor Swift's life, but they first met back in 2014. In an interview with Shazam Top 20 (via E! News), Healy revealed that he and Swift had exchanged numbers at the time. Five years later, he told "The Green Room" podcast that one of his biggest musical goals would be to produce one of her albums. According to Healy, he wanted to see her record an all-acoustic album, in the vein of Bruce Springsteen's groundbreaking "Nebraska."
"I can't think of a record that would sell more than that. Like, Taylor Swift's intimate return to country. Of course, you'd wanna produce that!" Healy said. "She's [probably] gonna sit on that idea, but Taylor, if you ever want someone to help you set up the mics for your acoustic record, just so you know, I'm there."
While nothing came of that, in late 2022 Healy revealed that he and other members of The 1975 had worked with Swift on her album "Midnights." Sadly, that particular musical collaboration was never released. "We actually worked a bit on that but then the version of it never came out," the star said in an interview with Audacy. As for why that collab never saw the light of day, Healy offered a somewhat cryptic explanation. "It was for reasons that are not to be criticized," he said. "She's amazing."
He turned down a big-bucks offer to tour with Ed Sheeran
Most musicians would jump at an invitation to open for a massively successful solo artist on a stadium tour — but not Matty Healy. "I don't know how you can write this up without it being rude or inappropriate, but I just got offered a four-month tour next year of stadiums with the biggest singer-songwriter in the world that would've made me money that I've never even seen or heard of in my life," Healy told The New York Times, confirming he was referring to Ed Sheeran.
As for the reasoning behind turning down that hefty payday, Healy admitted that money had never been much of a motivating factor. "It's difficult to be big and say — genuinely — that I have zero commercial ambition," he said. "I tend to say no to stuff for money." Healy was also quick to point out that while he respected Sheeran and his music, he explained that he's more comfortable being the main attraction at a smaller venue than an opening act in a stadium. "The thing that's stopped me just doing that is because — I don't care. It's not worth it," he said. "... But opening up for somebody and not just being real, that's the kind of stuff I think about." He later clarified his remarks in a since-deleted tweet where he urged people not to make more of his comments than what they were intended to be — The 1975 simply want to do their own thing.
Does Matty Healy have synesthesia?
One little-known fact about Matty Healy is that for a while, it appeared that he had synesthesia, a neurological condition that affects the brain so that one sense becomes confused with another. Speaking to The Guardian, he appeared to confirm that he has the rare condition in which one may experience a mental image of a shape or color when hearing a particular sound — something that impacts his music. "When I'm writing a song, there's a color there," he explained. However, just two years later, he then mocked people who he believed boasted about having synesthesia in an attempt to appear more interesting — something he didn't want to do for himself. "Like, I hate this whole thing of, 'I've got synaesthesia,'" he told The Times. "It's like, you know what — you probably haven't."
Indeed, while speaking with The Current, Healy again clarified that he doesn't actually have synesthesia, but that he creates visual imagery in his mind when writing songs. "I think it's trendy a lot of the time to say that you have like synesthesia, or you see colors or whatever," he said. "But the truth is, is that when I'm making stuff, what I'm really doing is sitting there and imagining things ... it's like when you wake up from a dream and you want to try and describe it, you know?" As a result, Healy will often have a fully fleshed-out visual idea for a music video, concocted while he's composing the track.
He's in recovery for addiction
Matty Healy has been open about his experiences with substance misuse. As he detailed in a conversation with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, his dalliance with heroin ultimately forced his bandmates in The 1975 to stage an intervention. Initially, the frontman admitted he stubbornly refused to listen, telling them, in essence, "No, you need to respect my drug addiction!" However, the following morning he experienced a moment of clarity as the implications of his ridiculous response began to sink in. "Oh my God, not only was that the wrong thing to say, that was so cringe," he admitted. "Because I know that they will get over that, but that's going to be an anecdote that they'll take the piss out of me for years for — that's the first thing I need to think about."
Healy subsequently checked himself into rehab, which provided him with a big wake-up call when he spoke with other people in recovery from addiction, many of whom had lost everything to drugs. "I'd not lost anything," he observed. "... Hadn't lost my possessions. Hadn't lost my money. I was just walking a very, very thin line. I think that I was lucky enough in my condition, in the way that I am as a person, to recognize that what needed to be done needed to be done." Following his seven weeks of treatment, in 2018, Healy told Billboard that his relationship with heroin was through.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
He's reportedly dated some other famous females
In addition to being romantically linked to Taylor Swift, Matty Healy has reportedly dated some other famous women over the years. For example, back in 2014, Radar claimed that he enjoyed a week-long fling with Ali Lohan, the younger sister of actor Lindsay Lohan (that report, however, remains unconfirmed).
Meanwhile, in 2015 he was rumored to be dating singer Halsey. While neither confirmed nor denied the relationship, fans have theorized that her song "Colors" was written about him after she explained its meaning during a 2016 appearance on "HitBound." She explained, "My song 'Colors' is about being in a relationship with someone and kind of watching the vibrancy slowly start to leak out of them, watch the colors start to fade, whether they're falling victim to drugs or falling victim to work or any sort of negative behavior that's kind of taking them away from the bright and lively person that they used to be."
Between 2015 and 2019, Healy reportedly coupled up with model Gabriella Brooks. However, sources told The Sun that she broke up with the singer because of his party-packed lifestyle. Shortly after that, he was linked to musician FKA Twigs after the two were reportedly spotted holding hands and looking cozy at several events in 2020. Two years later, a source told The Sun that he had been enjoying a low-key relationship with Canadian model, Charlotte Briar D'Alessio, for a few weeks. But again, the rumored relationship was never confirmed.
The reason he decided to ditch social media
Matty Healy has made headlines for making inflammatory remarks via social media. But regardless, in April 2023, Healy's Instagram followers were shocked when he pulled the plug on his account.
During a subsequent 1975 show in Adelaide, Australia, he told the audience why he decided to deactivate his Instagram when a member of the crowd yelled out a question about it. Healy offered a pithy response, captured by an Instagram fan account. "The 1975 is a very eras band. And I think that the era of me being a f***ing a***hole is going to come to an end," he said, with his comment met with thunderous applause. "Oh, that's the biggest applause of the night, thanks guys," he joked.
If history offers any clues, Healy will likely return to social media, since this wasn't the first time he'd quit. Back in 2020, he issued an ill-advised tweet about George Floyd and Black Lives Matter that stirred up controversy and backlash when he linked the tweet to a 1975 song and was accused of using Floyd's tragic death to promote his music. "Sorry I did not link my song in that tweet to make it about me, it's just that the song is literally about this disgusting situation and speaks more eloquently than I can on Twitter," he tweeted, shortly before deactivating his Twitter account.
Matty Healy is not afraid to get political
Matty Healy is definitely the type of artist who wears his heart on his sleeve, and that's particularly true when it's come to sharing his left-wing political views. In December 2016, he and The 1975 took to the stage of London's O2 Arena, still reeling over the double whammy of Donald Trump being elected president of the United States and British citizens voting to exit the European Union in what's come to be known as Brexit.
"The thing is right, the obvious thing is it is very sad to see not just young but young, progressive voices of change being drowned out by regressive ideals, it is sad," Healy told the crowd, as reported by the BBC. He offered even more details about his politics during an unvarnished interview with NME, revealing that he cried upon learning that Trump had defeated Hillary Clinton. "Every night on stage, whether we'd been in a Trump state or not, I'd been saying, 'We're English and we know what it's like to f*** up your country very swiftly.' And even after I said it, it still happened. Can you believe that?" he recalled.
After experiencing the passion and commitment of young people while touring America during the months leading up to the 2016 presidential election, Healy admitted the final outcome had left him deflated. "I was tired and we felt a bit defeated," he added.
The reason he thinks he's been banned from Dubai
As the singer in a hugely successful rock band, Matty Healy has traveled all over the world. However, there is one country he won't be visiting any time soon: the United Arab Emirates. The reason for that stems from a 2019 concert in Dubai, during which he flouted the country's anti-homosexuality laws by leaping offstage and into the crowd, where he kissed another man on the lips. "I love you bro. We're all human, right?" he said, as reported by BBC News. Following the uproar unleashed by the kiss, Healy addressed Dubai fans in a since-deleted tweet, writing, "I don't think we'll be allowed back due to my 'behavior' but know that I love you and I wouldn't have done anything differently given the chance again."
It wasn't until later that the star revealed the severity of his act of defiance. "They were going to arrest me," Healy told The Times, confirming that he'd been warned not to promote any "gay propaganda" during the show. Fearful for the fate of the fan he smooched, Healy said he was steeling himself to visit the nearest police station and turn himself in. After learning that the fan was safe, he and the rest of the band decided the best course of action would be to exit Dubai as soon as possible. "We managed to get out [of the country] that night, at five in the morning," Healy revealed.
Matty Healy sees himself as a 'minimalist'
Given Matty Healy's propensity not to factor money into his decision-making, it shouldn't be surprising to learn that he's somewhat low-maintenance when it comes to the creature comforts with which he surrounds himself. That was apparent in a video segment he filmed with GQ, in which he was tasked with itemizing the 10 things that he's not able to live without. Asked to bring along 10 "essentials" for the video, Healy admitted he could only come up with five. "It's made me realize that maybe I'm quite the minimalist," he mused. "How can you have 10 things? That's like a bag full of stuff."
Of those few essentials, a pair of sunglasses is something that fans are unlikely to see Healy without, with his specs of choice being a classic pair of Ray-Bans Wayfarers. Other essential items he identified included his Bluetooth audio earbuds, his beloved iPhone, his trusty notebook (for writing down song lyrics that may pop into his head), his laptop, and a small leather bag in which he can carry his stuff. As a bonus, Healy plucked a few items from his bag, such as a digital camera, passport, wallet, a small bottle of posh cologne, and the keys to his house.
He has a gift for stirring up controversy
Over the years, Matty Healy has demonstrated a knack for stirring up the proverbial hornet's nest with his blunt remarks. Examples are plentiful, such as the time the Irish Mirror reported that he jokingly told the audience at a sold-out show in Dublin, "You Irish are a simple people. You're easily pleased." Then there was the NYC show that featured him chomping a piece of raw meat and touching his junk onstage. "I'm sorry if you came with your dad and I was touching my d**k," Healy told the audience, according to NME's review "It's your fault for bringing your dad."
Healy is at least self-aware and comprehends how he comes across. "I know I am pretentious, but I'd be the first person to tell you that," he told The Guardian. "And I'm not apologizing." Which is not to say that Healy doesn't apologize when it's warranted. That was the case when he was hit with backlash after joining in with making jokes about rapper Ice Spice during a February 2023 appearance on "The Adam Friedland Show."
Two months later, Healy addressed the ensuing controversy during a show in Auckland, New Zealand (via Billboard). "I just feel a bit bad, and I'm kind of a bit sorry if I've offended you," Healy said. "Ice Spice, I'm sorry. It's not because I'm annoyed that [my] joking got misconstrued. It's because I don't want Ice Spice to think I'm a d**k ... I don't want it to be misconstrued as mean."
Matty's surprising comments about dating Taylor Swift
If Matty Healy was indeed dating Taylor Swift during 2023, that coupling flies in the face of some past comments he made about the "Shake It Off" singer. After the two first met nine years earlier, he was enthusiastic about the prospect of dating her. "I mean, bloody hell, what am I going to do? Go out with Taylor Swift? She's a sensation, I wouldn't say no," he told Shazam Top 20 (via E! News).
He seemed a bit more hesitant during a 2016 interview with The Guardian. Addressing the rumors that he and Swift had briefly dated, he insisted that things had never progressed to that stage. "She came to a show and we hung out. We fancied each other, but then we couldn't have it go any further, because it would be like going out with Barack Obama," he explained, alluding to the many issues that inevitably pop up while romancing someone as famous as Swift.
That same year, he also dismissively shot down the notion that the two would ever become an item. "If I had gone out with Taylor Swift I would've been [like], 'F***ing hell! I am not being Taylor Swift's boyfriend,'" he told GQ (via ET). "You know, 'F*** THAT.' That's also a man thing, a de-masculinating, emasculating thing."