Taylor Swift is stepping into the holiday season with a major act of giving. On Tuesday (Dec. 23), the American Heart Association announced that the pop superstar donated $1 million to support the organization’s efforts to combat heart disease and stroke. The donation was made in honor of her father, Scott Swift, who underwent heart surgery earlier this year.
“Taylor Swift’s remarkable generosity will create lasting change far beyond its financial value,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the AHA. Brown noted that cardiovascular disease impacts nearly half of American adults, adding that Swift’s support will help shine a light on prevention and encourage people to take their heart health seriously.
Brown also pointed to Swift’s long-standing association with the “heart hands” gesture, saying the symbol aligns closely with the AHA’s mission to honor families affected by cardiovascular disease. “My hope is that together, we can raise our collective heart hands and drive meaningful change against this disease,” she said.
Swift previously spoke about her father’s procedure — a quintuple bypass to treat five blockages — during her appearance on now-fiancé Travis Kelce’s New Heights podcast in August. She recalled helping care for him afterward, describing the experience as a “parent-child reversal” and sharing a humorous moment from the hospital as he tried to hand out guitar picks to staff.
Earlier the same day, Swift also donated another $1 million to Feeding America. In a statement, CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot called Swift’s continued support “a powerful reminder of what’s possible when we unite to end hunger” during the holiday season.
Her donations arrived as the final two episodes of her The End of an Era docuseries were released.
