Taylor Swift’s tearful mother Andrea cheers her at AMAs on amid her ongoing cancer struggle
It was an emotional evening for Taylor Swift’s mother Andrea Sunday, as she welled up with tears while watching her daughter perform and accept the Artist of the Decade award at the American Music Awards.
Andrea Swift, 61, was seen dabbing at her eyes with a tissue during the proceedings Sunday after seeing the 29-year-old artist deliver a medley of hits, including Love Story, Shake It Off and Lover.
Andrea, who’s battled cancer since 2015, sat with husband Scott and singer Selena Gomez, 27, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, taking in the big night for her daughter.
Moving forward: It was an emotional evening for Taylor Swift’s mother Andrea, 61, as she welled up with tears while watching her daughter perform and accept the Artist of the Decade award at Sunday’s American Music Awards
Swift has channeled her anguish over her mom’s situation into her art, as her song Soon You’ll Get Better is about the family health battle.
She also mentioned her mother in her acceptance speech for the Artist of the Decade award, noting that her parents’ keen taste in music – which included Carole King, who presented Swift with the honors – helped shape her as a songwriter and musical artist.
‘I can’t believe that it’s Carole King, that it’s you who gave me this award,’ she said. ‘So, you know, my parents are here tonight. And, you know, they would listen to Tapestry and all your records in high school, then they took them with them and packed them up to college with them.’
She continued, ‘When they met and got their own house, they took those records with them, and played those records for me and my brother.
Sentimental: Swift has channeled her anguish over her mom’s situation into her art, as her song Soon You’ll Get Better is about the family health battle
Credit: She also mentioned her mother in her acceptance speech for the Artist of the Decade award
Taylor Swift gorgeous in green sequined gown at the 2019 AMAs
‘When I fell in love with music, it was right around the time I realized how marvelous it was that an artist could transcend so many different changes and phases in people’s lives; so, you taught me that that was a possibility.’
Swift wrapped up in saying, ‘All any of the artists, or really anyone in this room, wants is to create something that will last – whatever it is in life.
‘And the fact that this is an award that celebrates a decade of hard work and of art and of fun and memories, all that matters to me is the memories that I have had with you guys, with you, the fans, over the years.’
Full circle: Taylor was presented with the award by Carole King, who her parents are partial to
Private show! Taylor Swift bring mom & friends to screening
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Courageous: Andrea has battled cancer since 2015, with periods of remission
Beaming: Andrea sat with husband Scott and singer Selena Gomez, 27, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles taking in the big night for the singer
Swift this past March said in a piece for Elle that Andrea’s cancer had returned after a period of remission.
‘I’ve had to learn how to handle serious illness in my family,’ she said in the piece. ‘Both of my parents have had cancer, and my mom is now fighting her battle with it again. It’s taught me that there are real problems and then there’s everything else.
She continued: ‘My mom’s cancer is a real problem. I used to be so anxious about daily ups and downs. I give all of my worry, stress, and prayers to real problems now.’
Taylor Swift’s face off with Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta
Earlier this month Taylor Swift went public via a tweet alleging music execs Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta had been blocking her from performing her hits at the American Music Awards unless she agreed not to rerecord her back catalog, which they own.
In a post captioned, ‘Don’t know what else to do’, Swift said: ‘I’ve been planning to perform a medley of my hits throughout the decade on the [AMAs]. Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun have now said that I’m not allowed to perform my old songs on television because they claim that would be re-recording my music before I’m allowed to next year.
Public feud: Taylor Swift, seen in April, has publicly berated Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta for their handling of her music sell off
‘Additionally – and this isn’t the way I had planned on telling you this news – Netflix has created a documentary about my life for the past few years. Scott and Scooter have declined the use of my older music or performance footage for this project, even though there is no mention of either of them or Big Machine Records anywhere in the film.’
Celebrities started showing public support for Swift after she made the revelation on Thursday.
As #IStandWithTaylor began trending, Braun and Borchetta faced death threats from the 29-year-old’s fans after Swift attempted to force them to rethink their decision.
Former colleagues: Swift worked with Borchetta for most of her career
Then the next day, Swift’s original label, Big Machine Label Group, hit back at the singer for making ‘false’ claims that the label banned her from singing her own songs on television.
In a statement, Big Machine Label Group alleged that Swift owes ‘millions of dollars’ to their label and that her social media posts are threatening the safety of their employees.
On November 22, Scooter Braun made a public appeal to end the feud after his family received death threats.
He claimed he was ‘shocked and disheartened’ by Taylor’s previous comments slamming his acquisition of her master recordings and suggested the Blank Space singer had no interest in resolving the tension between them, but he is willing to do anything to do so and is open to ‘ALL possibilities’.
