Taylor Swift has had several relationships throughout the years before she settled down with Travis Kelce. One of her reported relationships was with the Kennedy family member, Conor Kennedy. Notably, she dated Conor when he was just 17 and still in high school. Swift was 22 at the time of dating Conor.
The two of them were first spotted together in early July 2012 (via Parade). Conor turned 18 later that month. They reportedly enjoyed a whirlwind romance. During their relationship, they also caught unnecessary attention when Conor’s family alleged that they had crashed a Kennedy family wedding. They broke off their relationship in October 2012.
The summer he dated Swift was one of those rare occasions when Conor Kennedy was put under the spotlight. Interestingly, he has also been in the news for his arrest and his support for Ukraine during the recent Russia-Ukraine war.
Here is everything you need to know about Conor and his relationship with the Fate of Ophelia singer.
Conor Kennedy’s Connection to the Kennedy Family, His Arrests, and Other Details
Conor Kennedy is the son of U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He is the oldest son of Kennedy Jr. and his second wife, Mary Richardson. His grandfather was Robert F. Kennedy, who was former U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s brother. He is also connected to the Schwarzenegger family, as he is the first cousin once removed to Maria Shriver.
Conor’s mother, Mary, died by suicide in 2012 at the age of 52. This tragic death happened right before his summer fling with Taylor Swift. Her body was found at their family home in Bedford, New York. At the time of her death, Mary and Kennedy Jr. were living separately for two years.
After high school, Conor went on to study History & Literature at Harvard before going to law school. He graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 2023. He is currently an attorney, working out of Winser Baum’s LA office. He also worked as a paralegal for a national plaintiff’s firm before his current job. His company profile read:
Conor Kennedy is an attorney at Wisner Baum’s Los Angeles office, focusing his practice on complex litigation with an emphasis on plaintiff mass tort litigation. He is currently working on the Zantac cancer litigation team, representing over 11,000 clients with claims in California and Delaware state courts.
Conor was arrested alongside his father outside the White House when they protested against the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline in 2013. He was also arrested outside a Colorado nightclub for punching another man in 2016 (via ET Online).
It was reported that he was defending a friend who was called a homophobic slur. Kennedy Jr. later addressed his son’s arrest during a statement to PEOPLE:
Like any father, I don’t want to see my son fighting or involved with the police. But on the other hand, I’m proud that he stands up to bullies.
He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct and was given a six-month deferred sentence. He was ordered to write an apology letter to the victim and was fined $500. His record was later wiped clean as he stayed out of trouble during his sentence.
In October 2022, Conor enlisted in the International Legion of Ukraine. With no prior military experience, he served on the Kharkiv front and did some solid work for the Ukrainian military. He revealed the news via an Instagram post.
A post shared by Conor Kennedy (@jconorkennedy)
He also did volunteer work for charitable organizations, including the Food Allergy Initiative, NRDC, Panacetacea, Ocean Alliance, Remote Area Medical, RFK Human Rights, and Waterkeeper Alliance.
He also released two music albums, titled Somewhere and Live in Utopia (via Discogs). He also released a 2013 EP called Nothing Lasts: Nothing’s Over. He unveiled the EP through his own record company called 722 Records.
Did Taylor Swift and Conor Kennedy Crash a Wedding When They Were Dating?
Taylor Swift and Conor Kennedy reportedly had an affectionate relationship despite their brief time together and their age difference. A source told PEOPLE, “She is head over heels into him.” They added that she “is on cloud nine and is soooooo into him. She thinks she is in love.”
She was first spotted together with Conor and his family during the Fourth of July holiday in 2012. They made several appearances together, both in Hyannis Port and Nashville, over the course of their relationship. She even accompanied Conor during a visit to his mother’s burial site, who had died a few months earlier.
However, there were voices against the relationship as well. A source close to Swift told PEOPLE at the time, “Some of her friends think it’s moving a tad bit fast. One of those rolling-of-the-eyes when they talk about it-as in ‘That won’t last; he’s too young for her.’ But they let her do her thing.”
Interestingly, they made headlines when Conor’s aunt, Victoria Gifford Kennedy, accused them of crashing her daughter Kyle’s wedding at the Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel. She shared with Boston Herald that Conor RSVP’d at the last minute and told her that he would bring a girlfriend, to which she responded, “Please do not come.”
However, a friend of the singer shared with the outlet that it “must have been a big misunderstanding because anybody who knows Taylor knows she’s a superpolite person.” A rep for Swift told the outlet that she was invited and the bride “thanked her profusely for being there.”
Their relationship didn’t last long. As for the reason for their split, a source told RadarOnline that she “came on way too serious, way too fast.” The source also alleged that the singer was “more obsessed with the idea of dating a Kennedy, than the actual Kennedy she was dating.”
These rumors were strengthened by the fact that Swift bought a home next to the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. According to Vanity Fair, she bought the home for investment purposes and resold it for $1 million after her relationship with Conor ended.
Did Taylor Swift Write a Song About Conor Kennedy?
It is believed that Taylor Swift’s sixteenth track in her second album, Red, titled Begin Again, was about Conor Kennedy (via Nicki Swift). Swift explained her lyrics of the song during her appearance on Good Morning America. She shared (via The Boot):
It’s about when you’ve gotten through a really bad relationship and you finally dust yourself off and go on that first date after a horrible breakup, and the vulnerability that goes along with all that. I’m very excited about it.
While some speculate the horrible breakup was the one with Conor, others suggested that she was singing about Will Anderson of the band Parachute (via E!Online). She and Anderson were seen together on a date in December 2011, after which the song was written.
Swift’s song, Starlight, was also inspired by Conor’s family. She apparently wrote the song about his grandmother, Ethel Kennedy, and her relationship with Robert F. Kennedy. She was seen bonding with Ethel and her daughter, Rory Kennedy, at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2012.
Is Conor Kennedy Engaged?
Conor Kennedy was recently engaged to Brazilian singer Giulia Be. They have been dating since 2021. Giulia took to Instagram to share the happy news and wrote in the caption, “Easiest yes of all time.”
A post shared by GIULIA (@giulia)
Giulia, whose full name is Giulia Bourguignon Marinho, is the daughter of businessman Paulo Marinho. She gained recognition in 2018 with her song “With You,” which she collaborated on with famous Brazilian DJ Zerb. She pursued her music career after receiving praise from Maroon 5 guitarist Mickey Madden for her voice.
What do you think about Taylor Swift’s previous relationship with a 17-year-old Conor Kennedy? Let us know in the comments below!
