In 2015, Taylor Swift shared with the world that her mother, Andrea Swift, had been diagnosed with cancer (she didn't specify what kind). Taylor's brother, Austin Swift, was still in college at the time. Fortunately, the community he'd forged at Notre Dame proved to be a tremendous support system. "People were there for me and it transformed what could have been a very lonely, impossible time. I'll never forget that," he told People in 2016.

In a 2019 Elle feature, Taylor shared that her mom's health put things into perspective in a big way, and she learned to let go of the little things a lot easier. The singer also revealed that her dad, Scott Swift, had cancer at some point. And in 2020, Taylor's mom was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which inspired her song "Soon You'll Get Better." 

In addition to grappling with their parents' multiple health issues, Taylor and Austin may have also leaned on one another while their mom and dad went through marital issues. Though this has not been confirmed, it's long been rumored that Scott and Andrea Swift are divorced. In 2012, Star (via Radar) reported that they'd separated the year prior and supposedly stopped wearing their rings.