Two years after Matty Healy and Taylor Swift’s whirlwind 2023 romance came to an end, the 1975 frontman’s mother, British actress and television personality Denise Welch, is making headlines for her candid — and surprisingly biting — comments about the pop star.
During a July appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Welch, 66, didn’t hold back when asked by host Andy Cohen for her “reaction” to Swift allegedly writing an entire album about her son. “Not being her mother-in-law is a role that I’m glad I lost,” Denise said sharply, prompting gasps from the studio audience and a visibly shocked Cohen.
Welch quickly softened her tone, clarifying that she has “nothing against” Taylor personally, but wasn’t thrilled with how the media frenzy surrounding The Tortured Poets Department played out. “It was just, you know, it was tricky,” she explained. “Listen, you’re not allowed to say anything, and then she writes a whole album about it.”
Despite the drama, Welch insisted that Matty, 35, has handled the situation with maturity. “Matty has taken it all in completely good grace. He’s very happy with his amazing fiancé Gabriella, Gabbriette, who is gorgeous…We’ve moved on.”
Swift, 34, and Healy were first linked romantically in May 2023, shortly after her split from longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn. Though they had run in the same creative circles for years, their romance was brief, lasting just over a month. Their relationship was met with backlash from some of Swift’s fans, many of whom disapproved of Healy due to past controversies. The two reportedly parted ways in June 2023, and speculation around their breakup simmered until Swift dropped The Tortured Poets Department nearly a year later in April 2024.
The album, a 31-track opus, immediately ignited discussion among Swifties, with several songs — including “Fresh Out the Slammer,” “But Daddy I Love Him,” “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can),” and “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” — widely believed to be inspired by her brief but intense connection with Healy. While fans interpreted the lyrics as a reflection of heartbreak, betrayal, and longing, Welch’s comments this week suggest that the Healy camp saw things very differently.
