Taylor Swift has shared an emotional and candid account of her father Scott Swift’s health scare, revealing that she temporarily moved in with him this summer while he recovered from major heart surgery.
The 14-time Grammy winner, 35, opened up about the experience during her first-ever appearance on her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s New Heights podcast on Wednesday, August 13. Speaking alongside Kelce, 35, and his brother Jason Kelce, Swift explained that her 73-year-old father underwent a “really intense” quintuple bypass surgery after doctors discovered five blockages in his heart.
A Sudden Diagnosis
“It all happened really quick,” Swift recalled. Despite Scott having “a perfect EKG” at every annual physical, a recent cardiac stress test revealed the blockages.
“So, he’s been telling all his friends, ‘You need to get the stress test because that’s what’s actually preventative,’” Swift said. “If you can find that earlier, you don’t have to have bypass surgery. You can sort out those blockages with stents and things that are a lot less invasive.”
Although Scott insisted that both of his children Taylor and her younger brother Austin Swift were too busy to be there, the “Blank Space” singer immediately met up with her family at the hospital.
After the surgery, Swift decided to spend the summer living with her dad during his recovery period. “It was very parent–child reversal,” she said. “My brother, my mom, and I were each taking shifts in the ICU and staying with him 24/7.”
Swift shared a lighthearted moment from the hospital when Scott woke up from surgery. “He did like a comedy act for 15 minutes the funniest he’s ever been, and he’s usually really funny,” she said. When she told him he’d had five blockages removed, he responded, “Well, you see, I come from a very competitive family.”
Despite the circumstances, Scott tried to maintain his role as the unofficial ambassador of her tours. “He came out of surgery and tried to give guitar picks to all the nurses and doctors but he wasn’t wearing pants, didn’t have pockets, just a hospital gown,” Swift laughed.
A Role Reversal at Home
Swift described her time caring for her father as “surreal.” “This dude built play sets and swing sets and cribs for me. I’m building his shower chair, his walker, and his bed that goes like this,” she said, motioning to an adjustable recovery bed.
She also revealed that Scott needed help with mobility during recovery. “We had a little harness for my dad, just like walking dad on his harness,” she joked, adding that he was “the loveliest patient ever” and “kept saying thank you over and over again.”
Kelce noted that Scott is “full of life” and “appreciative that doctors caught it.”
Swift’s podcast appearance wasn’t only about family updates. She also confirmed the upcoming release of her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, set to drop October 3.
The experience was a reminder of the importance of prioritizing loved ones even in the middle of a busy career. “It’s just surreal, man,” she said of the summer spent by her father’s side.