Taylor Swift fans are currently trying to figure out who Rebekah Harkness is after the singer announced an expansion plan on her $17.5 million Rhode Island mansion recently. The pop icon has reportedly decided to invest a whopping $1.7 million in renovations for her lavish residence. But how is Rebekah Harkness related to Swift’s Westerly’s Watch Hill-located property?
Here’s everything you need to know regarding the connection that the “Cruel Summer” singer shares with Harkness.
How is Taylor Swift related to Rebekah Harkness?
On the personal front, Taylor Swift and Rebekah Harkness are not related in any sense. However, both of them have owned the aforementioned Rhode Island mansion at one point. Born in 1915, Harkness was a popular philanthropist who founded the Harkness Ballet company. Originally hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, the multi-faceted socialite relocated to Rhode Island following her marriage to William “Bill” Harkness in 1947 (via US Weekly).
Swift eventually purchased the property in 2013, making her the new owner of the house. The singer then released her critically acclaimed album Folklore in 2020, which featured the hit song, “The Last Great American Dynasty.” The single famously encapsulated the eventful life of Harkness and even included an ode to the Rhode Island mansion, which the pop star fondly refers to as the “Holiday House.”
In a 2020 Rolling Stone interview, Swift shared an extensive account of her feelings regarding the late socialite, stating, “Her name was Rebekah Harkness. And she lived in the house that I ended up buying in Rhode Island. That’s how I learned about her. But she was a woman who was very, very talked about, and everything she did was scandalous. I found a connection in that” (via Page Six).
Swift now primarily uses the house to host large-scale parties, including her iconic 4th of July bashes.
