Calvin Harris and Taylor Swift’s Relationship Timeline: A Look Back

Calvin Harris and Taylor Swift were introduced by mutual friend Ellie Goulding.

When Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris started dating in 2015, fans waited to see what beautiful music they’d make together. Over the course of their one-year relationship, the singer-songwriter and Scottish DJ only collaborated once as co-writers on the song “This Is What You Came For,” recorded by Rihanna.

Harris was Swift’s longest public relationship after a string of high-profile flings (Joe Jonas, Harry Styles, Jake Gyllenhaal, John Mayer, and Taylor Lautner). Swift briefly dated English actor Tom Hiddleston immediately following her split from Harris before embarking on a six-year relationship with Joe Alwyn in 2017. However, in April 2023, it was announced that Swift and Alwyn called it quits.

After his breakup with Swift, Harris reconnected with his ex-girlfriend, model Aarika Wolf, in 2018, until their breakup in 2022. He then moved on to TV and radio presenter Vick Hope, whom he has been engaged to since 2022.

Here’s a look back at Calvin Harris and Taylor Swift’s relationship.

February 24, 2015: Calvin Harris and Taylor Swift first meet

Harris and Swift met backstage at the Elle Style Awards in February 2015 after being introduced by their mutual friend, Ellie Goulding. And lucky for the internet, a fan just so happened to snap a photo of the exact moment it happened and posted on Instagram. The pic showed Goulding and Swift approaching Harris, who was chatting with Sam Smith.

“Calvin is a really great mate, and he’s so fantastic, and Taylor is such a cool person who I love,” Goulding told The Sun (via The Mirror) about playing matchmaker. “I thought, ‘They’re both really awesome and both really tall, they’ll be brilliant together.”

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Goulding was right. The two immediately hit it off, and the next day, they met up at the Brit Awards and hung out at an afterparty. They reportedly saw each other again the day after that.

April 29, 2015: Calvin Harris and Taylor Swift go Instagram official with her cats

While most celebrity couples make their relationship Instagram official with PDA-filled photos, Swift and Harris did things a little differently. Instead, the musical duo revealed they were officially dating, with the “Summer” producer sharing a since-deleted picture of Swift’s beloved cats — Olivia Benson and Meredith Grey — to his grid, according to E! Online.

May 17, 2015: Calvin Harris and Taylor Swift make their first public appearance as a couple

KEVIN MAZUR/BMA2015

In the months after their first meeting, it was obvious that Swift and Harris were a couple. They didn’t make it official to the public until they attended the 2015 Billboard Music Awards together in May (although the official month of their first date was March). Swift took home the award for Top Female Artist (among many others), while Harris won for Top Dance/Electronic Artist. Another winner that night? Smith, who was there when the couple first met.

March 2016: Calvin Harris and Taylor Swift celebrate one-year anniversary on vacation

INSTAGRAM/TAYLOR SWIFT

In March 2016, Swift and Harris celebrated their one-year anniversary with a romantic getaway. The two posted a series of adorable snaps — complete with gorgeous scenery, swimsuits, and their initials in the sand — from their tropical vacation on their respective Instagram accounts, per E!

One month later, Swift described her relationship with Harris as “magical.”

“I’m in a magical relationship right now,” she told Vogue. “And, of course, I want it to be ours, and low-key, this is the one thing that’s been mine about my personal life.”

June 2016: Calvin Harris and Taylor Swift break up

After dating for 15 months, Harris and Swift parted ways in June 2016, leading to a messy breakup that unfolded in the public eye. Initially, both chose to remain silent about the split, but Harris eventually took to Twitter to express his frustrations after reports emerged that Swift had secretly co-written his hit single, “This Is What You Came For.”

In a series of since-deleted tweets, Harris criticized Swift, suggesting she was trying to undermine him in her new relationship. He also urged her to focus on the positive aspects of her own life instead of dwelling on their past. Reflecting on his social media outburst a year later, Harris admitted regretting his behavior, acknowledging that he snapped under pressure and felt his talent was being belittled.

He explained that the breakup received more attention than the relationship itself, expressing discomfort with the intense public scrutiny. Harris emphasized that during their time together, they had made efforts to keep their relationship private and respectful. He confessed that he struggled with the demands of celebrity life and that the aftermath of the breakup was overwhelming.

Regarding the reasons behind their split, Harris attributed it to simply being the wrong situation for both of them. He recognized that the relationship wasn’t right and ultimately came to an end.