Matty Healy Addressed His Podcast Controversy: "It Doesn't Actually Matter"

Um...

Matthew Healy performs onstage with Phoebe Bridgers in the set opener during the Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Lincoln Financial Field on May 12, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(Image credit: Photo by Lisa Lake / Getty)

Rumors are still ramping up that Taylor Swift and The 1975 frontman Matty Healy are dating, in the aftermath of Swift's separation from Joe Alwyn.

This news has riled Taylor Swift fans up, because of Healy's many controversies over the past few years.

In particular, people were rightfully shocked when the singer appeared on the podcast The Adam Friedland Show and joined in when the hosts were making racist and misogynistic comments about rapper Ice Spice. He also laughed at a number of offensive jokes throughout the podcast episode.

Healy has now addressed his comments in an interview with The New Yorker. Asked whether he was "baiting" his fans with his behavior, he said, "A little bit. But it doesn’t actually matter. Nobody is sitting there at night slumped at their computer, and their boyfriend comes over and goes, 'What’s wrong, darling?' and they go, 'It’s just this thing with Matty Healy.' That doesn’t happen."

The interviewer, Jia Tolentino, hit back, "Maybe it does."

But Healy had an answer ready for this too. "If it does, you’re either deluded or you are, sorry, a liar," he said.

"You’re either lying that you are hurt, or you’re a bit mental for being hurt. It’s just people going, 'Oh, there’s a bad thing over there, let me get as close to it as possible so you can see how good I am.' And I kind of want them to do that, because they’re demonstrating something so base level."

Healy had previously addressed his comments towards Ice Spice, saying, "I am genuinely sorry if I upset her, because I f***ing love her" (via Vulture). Meanwhile, Swift announced a collaboration with the rapper last week, prompting many comments about the synchronicity of that move.

Iris Goldsztajn
Morning Editor

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.