Taylor Swift References Her Brother Austin In *These* Songs

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Taylor Swift, 34, and her younger brother, Austin, 31, are total siblings goals. One is a world-famous pop star (who was also crowned Time's Person of the Year in 2023) and the other has carved out a successful career for himself too. It's no secret that the "Anti-Hero" singer is close with her fam, but Austin has been her number 1 fan since the beginning.

For her 29th birthday back in 2019, he posted a seriously cute throwback picture of the two of them on his Instagram page.

"I have always had a best friend, a role model, and a caring, tireless, dedicated champion in my corner," he wrote. "You have pulled me out of fires and carried me up mountains. The gift of getting to witness you become the wonderful person you are today has been the greatest privilege and honor of my life."

It's hard not to love this duo, and with all this attention on Taylor Swift this year, you might be wondering more about the people she comes home to.

Below, everything you need to know about the superstar's younger brother.

Austin was born on March 11, 1992.

Austin was born in West Reading, Pennsylvania, on March 11, 1992, three years after Taylor was born, according to his IMDB profile. The two grew up together on their family's Christmas tree farm in PA, before the family picked up and moved to Nashville to help launch Taylor's singing career, per People. Austin was just nine years old at the time.

He went to Notre Dame.

While Taylor was off touring the world, Austin took a different route, opting to head to college and finish a higher education degree. (Taylor never went to college but she has received an honorary degree from New York University, so I'd call that a win!)

Austin packed up and headed to the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in film studies.

He's referenced in several of Taylor's songs.

If you're close to Taylor, you best believe she will include you in her incredible music. And that's no different for her only sibling, Austin.

In "The Best Day," she sings, "God smiles on my little brother, inside and out, he's better than I am." And later in "Never Grow Up," she talks about "all your little brother's favorite songs."

He’s an actor and producer.

The creative gene seems to be strong in the Swift family. While Taylor found her passion in the music world, Austin decided to try out acting during his time in college. He always had a love for film, and he ended up snagging his first leading role in production at school in Six Characters in Search of an Author, per People.

"I’m pretty reserved in most circumstances, so [acting] never seemed like it would be a good fit," he told People in 2018. "But I kind of got thrust into it and realized that it could be an opportunity to be creative."

And Austin doesn't appear to be one to rest on his laurels. In fact, he was worried he wasn't good enough, he told People, so he "started staying after rehearsals every night and running the whole play by myself, over and over, acting every part until the sun came up. By opening day, it was a different play and I felt like I was a different person."

He shared this image from the play on Twitter with the caption "Finished the play run, what an amazing experience, major thanks to cast, crew, and everyone that came out to see us."

In 2016, he made his big screen debut in the thriller I.T., and then appeared in Live by Night alongside Ben Affleck and Zoe Saldana. In 2017, he tried his hand in some television roles such as Embeds and Still the King, before starring in and co-producing the movies Cover Versions and We Summon the Darkness, according to People.

In 2018, he was cast in the movie Cover Versions starring Drake Bell, Katie Cassidy, Debby Ryan, and Ashley Argota. Taylor showed her support on X (formerly Twitter) by sharing the films trailer.

"It's National Siblings Day! Check out Austin's movie," the singer wrote.

More recently, Austin has worked on some of his sister's music videos and her Disney+ documentary, racking up a handful of production credits for those as well.

He is currently dating a model.

In September 2022, Austin and model Sydney Ness were spotted holding hands in New York City, sparking dating rumors. In October of 2023, just over a year later, the two joined Taylor at a Kansas City Chiefs game when the team took on the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, according to People. Taylor was there to support her boo, Travis, so it seems only natural Austin would bring his "Lover" too.

Austin and Sydney were spotted behind the row of celebs (hey, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Brittany Mahomes!) who are intensely watching the game.

He’s super supportive of his sister

In 2017, when speaking about his sister's career, Austin told Vanity Fair that "she found singing, and I knew from very early on that that was her direction." He continued, “She was never going to quit; that was her thing, that was her life.”

When Taylor released her album "Evermore"in 2020, Austin posted the album cover to his Instagram in support.

In the caption, he wrote, "As a brother and friend I couldn’t be more proud, as a lifelong fan I am thrilled beyond words, as a human being I am simply dumbfounded at this level of artistry and depth of insight into what it is to love and to lose and to simply exist."

For Taylor's 27th birthday, he posted this sweet picture on Instagram. It features the siblings both wearing bright red shirts and smiling on a pony.

"I can’t believe you’ve been riding ponies, making music, playing with cats, and telling stories for almost three decades now," he wrote. "You’ve always been there for your family and friends no matter what and you’re always finding unique and beautiful ways to show us how much you care."

Taylor is just as supportive of her brother. In 2014, the star skipped the MTV Europe Music Awards so she could see Austin in a play at Notre Dame, per People.

Later, in 2020, the "Cruel Summer" singer posted an adorable picture of her and Austin on Instagram to celebrate National Siblings Day and the release of We Summon The Darkness, a film he starred in and co-produced. Taylor poses in the candid pic with her mouth open, red lipstick on, and a "Birthday Girl" crown, while Austin is smiling. She wrote:

"It’s National Siblings Day! My brother @austinkingsleyswift is one of my best pals, and I’m really proud of him because he’s in a film that came out today called We Summon The Darkness (which he also co-produced). Photo by Gigi. My facial expression by 3 glasses of wine. #nationalsiblingsday"

He’s helped produce some of her music videos

Austin has actually had a hand in some of Taylor's music videos, including "I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor's Version)," which he produced with his sister and her BFF (and iconic actress) Blake Lively. In 2022, the trio were nominated in the video of the year category at the Academy of Country Music Awards, according to Deadline.

He celebrated the nomination on Instagram by posting the press release. He wrote, "I was so lucky to get to work with Blake, Taylor, and the entire amazing team behind the video for 'I Bet You Think About Me' and now I am so proud and thankful that we've been nominated for the ACM award for video of the year!"

In addition, he's listed as an executive producer on her Disney+ documentary Folklore: The Long Pond Sessions, per People.

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