In a recent interview titled “Who Is Matty Healy?” with The New Yorker, Matty Healy, the frontman of The 1975, addressed the controversy surrounding his appearance on The Adam Friedland Show and dismissed concerns about his past comments, stating that they don’t actually matter.
Healy explained that the podcast was an opportunity for him to do press that felt more like catching up with friends, Adam Friedland and Nick Mullen, during a promotional tour. When asked if he deliberately baited his fans in the past, Healy admitted to doing so to some extent but emphasized that it doesn’t really matter. He expressed skepticism about the idea that fans would be genuinely hurt or upset by his actions, believing that people who claim to be hurt are either deluded or lying.
In February, Healy received backlash for mocking Chinese and Hawaiian accents on the podcast and for making remarks about watching a controversial adult website that degrades women of color. While he later apologized on stage to the rapper Ice Spice, he did not directly address his comments about the adult website.
The podcast episode has since been removed from Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Healy’s relationship with Taylor Swift also became public around the same time. Although they briefly dated in the past, they have recently reconnected and are reportedly dating. They have been seen holding hands during outings in New York City but have not publicly commented on their relationship.
Healy and Swift have made cryptic comments about their relationship during their respective shows. In the interview, Healy mentioned the speculation and indicated that he would ignore questions about it. He expressed his desire to be known for his music rather than for his personal life, but acknowledged that fame often revolves around who a person is. Healy stated that if people are going to make him famous, they will have to work for it.
The New Yorker journalist noted receiving texts from people who knew Healy and Swift, insisting that their romance is genuine. Healy concluded the interview by stating his intention to be recognized for his work and expressing his view that people are complex.
