Taylor Swift's Longtime Friends Spotted With Charli XCX After 'Diss Track' Speculation

Two of Taylor Swift's closest friends have surprised fans after being spotted hanging out with Charli XCX, just weeks after rumors spread that Swift's new song took aim at the British pop star.

Model Cara Delevingne and singer Ed Sheeran, both longtime members of Swift's inner circle, were seen posing with Charli XCX and actress Rachel Sennott at the Academy Museum's 5th Annual Gala in Los Angeles on October 18, US Magazine reported.

Swift, 35, was not at the event. Delevingne, 33, later shared the group photo on Instagram with the caption, "@theacademy gala dump! Scroll through to reveal the truth behind the glitz and glamour."

The friendly moment raised eyebrows among fans, especially after Swift's recently released album, The Life of a Showgirl, featured the song "Actually Romantic."

Many listeners believe the lyrics were directed at Charli, 33, whose 2024 album Brat included the track "Sympathy Is a Knife."

In Swift's song, she sings, "I heard you call me boring Barbie when the coke's got your brain / High-fived my ex and then said you're glad he ghosted me."

Later, she adds, "It's actually romantic / All the time you've spent on me."

Charli XCX Talks Insecurity Behind Lyrics

According to PageSix, fans quickly compared these lines to Charli's "Sympathy Is a Knife," where she describes feeling jealous of another woman, seemingly referencing Swift's brief 2023 relationship with "The 1975" frontman, Matty Healy.

Charli denied any feud in an August interview with New York Magazine, explaining that her song was about her own insecurities, not Swift.

"That song is about me and my anxiety and the stories I tell myself when I feel insecure," she said.

"Sometimes I'd look onstage and think, 'I'll never play these rooms.' It made me feel jealous, and I told my friends that."

Despite the online buzz, Charli has avoided directly commenting on Swift's rumored "diss track."

In a recent Vanity Fair interview, she said, "I'm just quite direct and blunt. What you see is what you get with me."

Swift has publicly praised Charli's talent in the past, calling her "surreal and inventive" and saying she's "been blown away by her songwriting since 2011."

Still, fans can't help but notice the timing. Delevingne and Sheeran's photo with Charli comes as rumors swirl that Swift's relationships with some of her friends — including Sheeran — have become strained.

Tags

Taylor Swift, Charli XCX