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Denise Welch seemingly broke in down tears and was hugged by her son Matty Healy in West Hollywood this week after backlash over her comments about his ex Taylor Swift.
The Loose Women star, 67, recently faced the wrath of Taylor’s huge fanbase after making a subtle dig at her tendency to pen songs about her famous exes before accusing her Swifties of lashing out at anyone who dares to criticize her.
And it appears that things may have gotten too much for Denise as she struggled to hold in her emotions while out with her rocker son, 36, on Friday – though a source told TMZ it was due to a ‘family matter’.
The actress was seen dabbing her eyes with a tissue as she sat on a pavement outside Stella restaurant, with the 1975 front man sitting close by to support her.
The pair, who were said to be at dinner with Matty’s fiancée Gabbriette Bechtel, appeared deep in conversation, with Matty taking the opportunity to puff on a cigarette while supporting is mother.
Denise and Matty then stood up and embraced, before seemingly heading inside.
Though it’s unclear why Denise was apparently in tears, a source told TMZ: ‘There was a family matter that Matty was consoling his mother about.’
Daily Mail has contacted Denise’s representatives for comment.
It was said Taylor is taking ‘the high road’ after ‘obnoxious’ Denise, the mother of her ex Matty, took a swipe at her during an awkward interview exchange.
The 35-year-old singer became a hot topic of conversation during Denise’s appearance on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live last month, during which she was quizzed about Taylor’s latest album The Tortured Poets Department.
Denise told host Andy Cohen: ‘Obviously, on pain of death can I talk about that episode, but being her mother-in-law is a role that I am glad I lost’.
Her confession elicited shocked gasps from audience members, to which Welch quickly clarified her statement.
‘Not that I have anything against [Taylor] at all!’ she said emphatically, adding: ‘It was just – it was tricky.’
‘Listen, you’re not allowed to say anything,’ she went on, ‘and then she [Taylor] writes a whole album about it.’
Taylor and Matty, 36, dated following her split from her longterm boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn, in April 2023.
But the relationship was short-lived – and Taylor has since moved on with NFL star Travis Kelce, while Matty himself is now engaged to model Gabbriette Bechtel.
Since then, the $1.6billion songstress has been basking in the glory of her record-breaking Eras Tour, her historic buy-back her musical masters, and her loved-up relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight-end Travis.
That’s why, according to an inside source, Taylor has no plans to issue a scathing response to Denise’s sly digs.
Instead, she plans to do exactly as she always does… and just shake it off.
‘It’s a bit obnoxious in Taylor’s eyes, but she has to take the high road,’ the insider exclusively told the Daily Mail.
‘If there was anything that would be in a future song of Taylor’s – if she were ever to respond – she would respond that way. But as of right now, she might just let it slide. She is not going to let Denise ruin her day.’
While Taylor and Matty only dated for a few short months in 2023, their paths first crossed years earlier.
The two reportedly met when Taylor attended a 1975 show in Los Angeles in 2014, with her friends Selena Gomez and Ellie Goulding in tow.
But they weren’t properly in each other’s orbits until 2022, when rumors began circulating that Matty would be featured on Taylor’s album Midnights.
There turned out to be some truth in the gossip. Matty revealed in the November of that year that he had collaborated with Taylor in the studio, though their work never saw the light of day.
They picked up the professional collaboration in January 2023, with Taylor making a surprise appearance on stage at a 1975 concert.
And then, following news of her split from Joe in April that year, the new romance was confirmed – just one month later.
But as quickly as it had begun, Matty was swept up in controversy over offensive accents and crude jokes he had made about rapper Ice Spice.
Across social media, Taylor’s fans expressed their disappointment with the singer over her choice of partner, and urged her to dump Matty.
By early June, the two were reported to no longer be together.
