Being the parents of one of the biggest pop
stars in the world comes with plenty of perks, but it doesn't shield you from painful stress
or life-threatening illnesses. And Scott and Andrea Swift know that better
than anybody. Taylor Swift has been a phenomenon for years
now, but she used to be a struggling artist just like every other young hopeful musician. Her parents Scott and Andrea have been dedicated
to helping their little girl fulfill her dreams, but there were some serious struggles along
the way. For example, in 2023, an old email that Scott
sent back in 2005 resurfaced. Taylor's former manager Daniel Dymtrow exposed
the email while suing her for alleged underpayment. In the message, Scott Swift comes across as
resentful for being the one who has to stay home while his wife is on the road with Taylor. As he wrote, "Who gets to go to New York, New England,
and every cool appearance? Not dad. Can't fix hair. Dad talks too much. Who pays for trips to New York? Dad." Of course, the familial dynamic fortunately
didn't stay this way forever, as Scott eventually became a staple at many of Taylor's biggest
moments. Taylor Swift had a seemingly idyllic childhood
on a Christmas tree farm owned by her parents in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. But from an early age, she was eager to leave
town and pursue a country music career, much to her parents' chagrin. As she admitted to Time Magazine in 2014, "I began relentlessly nagging, begging, and
pleading with my parents to take me on a trip there." "This happens to be a dream come true for
me." Soon enough, Taylor landed a development deal,
and there was no other option but to let her pursue her dreams. So Scott and Andrea Swift said goodbye to
Pennsylvania, trading in fir trees for hot Tennessee summers. Though it ultimately worked out in the end,
it couldn't have been easy for the entire Swift family to say goodbye to everything
that they knew. For better or worse, the family members of
celebrities are basically public figures by association. With that in mind, it's hardly surprising
that Andrea and Scott Swift's relationship has come under the microscope since their
daughter became famous. In 2011, the tabloid Star reported that they
were going through a divorce. As a family friend claimed, "[Taylor's] been going through a lot. The new album will showcase the pain of her
parent's separation." The family friend also explained that Andrea
and Scott had actually split a while ago. But they were eager to keep the news to themselves,
even though they weren't wearing their wedding rings anymore. The fact that Andrea was frequently on tour
with Taylor was supposedly a factor in the breakdown of the relationship, though they
opted not to file for divorce for fear that it could impact Taylor's success. Whether or not they remained separated or
even went through with an official divorce remains unclear, as neither Taylor nor her
parents have ever publicly commented on the status of their relationship. Either way, they appear to be on amicable
terms, as they're often spotted together supporting their daughter at various events. In 2019, Scott Swift's private Facebook account
was exposed when his daughter shared one of his posts on her Tumblr page. Taylor took down the post almost immediately,
presumably the very second that she realized that she'd revealed her dad's account to her
legions of fans. But it was too late, as some Swifties made
their way over to Scott's private profile and took some screenshots. While the post that Taylor shared was a rather
innocuous status update about how to cheat his phone's step counter, other posts were
a little more controversial. Fans found right-wing memes about such topics
as immigration, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Blue Lives Matter. These memes didn't exactly sit well with left-leaning
Swifties, and the screenshots put some heat on Scott. Taylor has been known to regularly support
liberal causes and endorse Democratic candidates, but she never addressed any of her dad's Facebook
activity. Scott ultimately deleted his account, perhaps
indicating that there was some major tension behind the scenes. "Do you really care if the internet doesn't
like you today?" Taylor Swift has always been candid and eager
to share various aspects of her personal life throughout her career. But when it comes to her parents, she's careful
not to give away too much. However, there have been some notable exceptions. For example, on a 2015 Tumblr post, she revealed
that her mom Andrea had cancer. As she wrote, "I'd like to keep the details of her condition
and treatment plans private, but she wanted you to know. She wanted you to know because your parents
may be too busy juggling everything they’ve got going on to go to the doctor, and maybe
you reminding them to go get checked for cancer could possibly lead to an early diagnosis
and an easier battle [...] Thank you for caring about my family so much that she would want
me to share this information with you." Then in 2019, Taylor told Elle Magazine that
Andrea had been diagnosed with cancer for a second time. She also revealed that her dad had had his
own bout with the disease as well. As the singer explained, "I've had to learn how to handle serious illness
in my family. Both of my parents have had cancer, and my
mom is now fighting her battle with it again. It's taught me that there are real problems
and then there's everything else." Taylor gave her fans a concerning update on
her mom the following year, when she told Variety that doctors discovered a brain tumor
while administering chemotherapy. As she admitted, "It’s just been a really hard time for us
as a family." "I'm sorry you had cancer." It's no secret that Taylor and Andrea Swift
are very close with each other. As the singer divulged to Variety in 2020, "Everyone loves their mom; everyone's got
an important mom. But for me, she's really the guiding force." In 2019, Taylor released a song inspired by
Andrea, the somber "Soon You'll Get Better." The song, which appears on her album Lover
and features The Chicks, is about visiting doctor's offices with her mom. The touching lyrics reveal Taylor attempting
to make sense of the possibility of losing someone whom she's relied upon her whole life. Fans have really embraced this heart-wrenching
track, though Taylor rarely performs it live. As she explained during a YouTube Live video
ahead of the album's release, "We as a family decided to put this on the
album, and it's something I'm so proud of, but it's just really hard. I can't sing it. It's hard to just emotionally deal with that
song." In 2020, Taylor played "Soon You'll Get Better"
live for the first time at the "One World: Together at Home" benefit show. When a celebrity speaks openly about politics,
it can lead to serious risks that are bigger than just trolls lurking in the comments section. For a significant portion of her time as a
public figure, Taylor Swift steered clear of getting political. And her father was insistent that she keep
it that way, out of fear for her safety. But by 2018, Taylor was ready to take on the
risk. As she wrote on Instagram, "In the past, I've been reluctant to publicly
voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the
past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote
based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all
deserve in this country." Taylor also spoke out against Republican Tennessee
Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn, while endorsing her Democratic opponent Phil Bredesen, as
well as Democratic congressional candidate Jim Cooper. In a scene in the 2020 Netflix documentary
Taylor Swift: Miss Americana, Scott attempted to dissuade his daughter from posting the
statement. "I've read the entire thing and, and the bottom
line, right now, I'm terrified. I'm the guy that went out and bought armored
cars." Taylor later told Variety that she understood
her father's apprehension, as she explained, "My dad is terrified of threats against my
safety and my life, and he has to see how many stalkers we deal with on a daily basis,
and know that this is his kid. It’s where he comes from." Scott Swift has long been concerned about
his daughter's safety and security. But in 2020, his own well-being was threatened
when an intruder broke into his Florida penthouse. He came home one evening to find a man named
Terrence Hoover in the $4 million condo. Hoover apparently circumvented the security
guard and gate, let himself in through an emergency exit stairwell, and made his way
up 13 floors. Scott reportedly fought off Hoover, who then
fled the scene. After he was tracked down and arrested, his
mother insisted to the Tampa Bay Times that it was all a misunderstanding and that he
shouldn't be charged with anything more than trespassing. She also claimed that he accidentally ended
up in Scott's apartment while he was searching the area for his estranged wife. Taylor Swift's feud with record executive
Scooter Braun basically turned the music world upside-down. He purchased her entire back catalog in 2019,
which infuriated her, as she called it her "worst-case scenario" on Tumblr. As she recounted, "For years, I asked, pleaded for a chance
to own my work." The sale to Braun prompted Swift to reclaim
her previous records by re-releasing them as re-recorded versions. It later emerged that Scott Swift made $15
million when Braun bought the back catalog. The singer's fans were ready to express their
ire towards Scott over this situation. But as it turned out, he knew nothing about
the deal before it was brokered, and he made a point of making that fact clear. Scott was a Big Machine Records LLC shareholder,
and Taylor's representative told Entertainment Tonight that he refused to participate in
a shareholders call that would've required him to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Such an agreement would've prevented him from
discussing the deal with his daughter. As the rep explained, "Her dad did not join that call because he
did not want to be required to withhold any information from his own daughter."
