“This Made Me Cry”: Strong Reactions After Mom Of Taylor Swift’s Late Friend Breaks Her Silence

When Taylor Swift revealed the tracklist for her album The Life of a Showgirl, many fans were particularly intrigued by a song titled Ruin the Friendship.

Though most speculated that the song was about the singer’s rumored falling-out with Blake Lively, they were surprised to learn that it was about something entirely different: Taylor’s hidden love for a high school friend and her regrets about not pursuing that relationship.

Years before she became a global superstar, Taylor and Jeff Lang attended Hendersonville High School in Hendersonville, Tennessee. In November 2010, he tragically passed away at the age of 21.

The mother of Taylor Swift’s late high school friend has reacted to Ruin the Friendship, the song believed to be about her son

Taylor Swift performing on stage wearing a detailed jacket, inspiring late friend’s mom to break her silence after 15 years.

Image credits: Erika Goldring / Getty Images

In the emotional song, the Grammy-winning artist recalls being told the news by another high school friend and flying home for Jeff’s funeral. “I whispered at the grave; Should’ve kissed you anyway,” she sings on the track.

Jeff’s mother, Susan Lang, said in an interview with The Tennessean that she was surprised that the superstar hasn’t forgotten about her son “after all this time.”

Taylor Swift in a glittering dress holding a glass of wine, reflecting on her late friend’s impact through a hit song.

Image credits: Taylor Swift / YouTube

Susan shared that Taylor and Jeff were “really good friends.” Fifteen years after the tragedy, the mom still keeps a framed photo of her late son standing with Taylor in her home.

“She’s keeping his name alive,” Susan said.

She added that the deep bond Taylor and Jeff shared is “rare” these days. “They hung out at her house a lot. They were always joking around with each other.”

Susan Lang thanked the superstar for “keeping [Jeff’s] name alive” in a new interview

Mom of late Taylor Swift friend shares emotional moment at piano inspired by hit song after 15 years of silence

Image credits: taylorswift / Instagram

Comment by Camille Princiotta LaLima praising Taylor Swift as a sweet young woman in a beautiful tribute post.

Though the pop star never names Jeff directly in the song, she references several places where they used to spend time together, including a road in the greater Nashville area and a lake believed to be Old Hickory Lake.

“You drive 85 / Gallatin Road and the lakeside beach / Watching the game from your brother’s Jeep / Your smile, miles wide,” Taylor sings at the beginning of the song.

She reveals that she liked her classmate but didn’t kiss him because he had a girlfriend at the time.

Young man wearing Alabama cap and red shirt poses with woman in camouflage top, mom of late Taylor Swift friend breaks silence.

Image credits: alrightnahh18 / X

Then, in the second verse, she recounts going to prom with another date and noticing that Jeff seemed to have feelings for her, too.

“Wilted corsage dangles from my wrist / Over his shoulder, I catch a glimpse/ And see / You lookin’ at me,” she sings. “And it was not / An invitation / But as the 50 Cent song played / Should’ve kissed you anyway.”

She later admits that kissing him wouldn’t have been “convenient,” but it would have been “the best mistake.”

Taylor and Jeff were close friends and went to high school together in Hendersonville, Tennessee

Taylor Swift performing on stage, holding a microphone, with a medal around her neck in a dimly lit setting.

Image credits: BMI / YouTube

Taylor Swift singing at a funeral with lyrics from Ruin The Friendship, touching on grief and loss.

Image credits: BangSwift1313 / X

Alt text: Mom of late Taylor Swift friend shares emotions 15 years after his passing inspired by hit song lyrics.

The song then jumps ahead in time to when Jeff broke up with his girlfriend, but Taylor still didn’t make a move because it might have “pissed off” his ex and because “staying friends is safe.”

In the bridge, she reveals that she lost touch with Jeff after high school, until a close friend, Abigail, called her “with the bad news.”

In the song, Taylor reveals a secret crush on a close friend from high school who later passed away

Young man smiling in a casual setting representing the mom of late Taylor Swift friend breaking her silence years after his passing.

Image credits: Springfield Memorial Gardens

“Goodbye / And we’ll never know why,” she sings, implying that her friend left the world suddenly.

“It was not an invitation / But I flew home anyway / With so much left to say / It was not convenient / But I whispered at the grave / Should’ve kissed you anyway.”

The song concludes with Taylor addressing her listeners directly, advising them to “ruin the friendship” and “answer the question,” because they’ll never know whether they’ll get another chance with the person they love.

Taylor Swift seated in a red top during an interview about the mom of her late friend breaking silence after 15 years.

Image credits: taylornation / Instagram

In 2010, Jeff was a junior at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, where he majored in biology, according to The Tennessean and an obituary from the Hendersonville Memory Gardens and Funeral Home.

In the recent interview, Jeff’s mom confirmed that her late son was always the first to hear Taylor’s new songs.

Taylor sings that she should have “ruined the friendship” and kissed her friend before it was too late

 

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Mom of late Taylor Swift friend smiling and hugging young man in a gymnasium setting after 15 years of loss.

Image credits: Susan Lang / Facebook

On TikTok, a user who claimed to be Jeff’s cousin reacted to a video featuring lyrics from Ruin the Friendship, sharing that his cousin allegedly knew that Taylor “was going to be something incredible.”

Days after the tragedy, Taylor, then a country musician, honored her late friend during her acceptance speech for Country Songwriter of the Year at the 2010 BMI Awards in Nashville.

Jeff passed away in November 2010 at the age of 21

Mom of late Taylor Swift friend smiling with two young adults in a warm, affectionate family portrait.

Image credits: Susan Lang / Facebook

Black and white image of Taylor Swift wearing headphones and singing into a microphone in a recording studio.

Image credits: Taylor Swift / YouTube

“Yesterday, I sang at the funeral of one of my best friends, and he was 21,” she said.

“I used to play my songs for him first. So I would like to thank Jeff Lang and as always, all the creative minds in this room who inspire me every day.”

Listen to Ruin The Friendship below

Fans believe Taylor has written another song about Jeff: the vault track Forever Winter (Taylor’s Version), released in 2021 on the re-recorded version of her album Red.

In the song, the 35-year-old sings that “all this time” she didn’t know that someone she knew was “breaking down.” 

She also sings, “I’d fall to pieces on the floor / If you weren’t around / Too young to know it gets better.”

Screenshot of a Twitter reply where a user emotionally reacts to a story about the mom of late Taylor Swift friend.

Many fans said that they cried while listening to Ruin The Friendship

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Tweet from a user expressing how touching it is that the mom of late Taylor Swift friend still honors him years after his passing.

Image credits: ItsAmelia_X

Twitter user expressing admiration for mom of late Taylor Swift friend speaking 15 years after his passing due to hit song.

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Screenshot of a tweet expressing relief and wishing peace to the family of the late Taylor Swift friend after 15 years.

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Tweet showing Mom of late Taylor Swift friend expressing love and keeping his memory alive 15 years after his passing.

Image credits: Shannonagansz

Mom of late Taylor Swift friend expresses gratitude and shares memories 15 years after his passing due to hit song.

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Tweet from actually1001 commenting on Taylor Swift’s new songs, reflecting on the mom of late friend breaking silence.

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Tweet from Lavender_Haze expressing sadness over a ruined friendship related to Taylor Swift's late friend and hit song impact.

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Screenshot of a tweet expressing emotional reaction to a hit song linked to the mom of late Taylor Swift friend.

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Tweet about Ruin the Friendship being one of the most painful songs, related to mom of late Taylor Swift friend breaking her silence.

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Screenshot of a Twitter reply mentioning mom of late Taylor Swift friend breaking her silence 15 years after his passing.

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Tweet from Taylor Swift fan Melissa Contino sharing how Taylor played songs for her late friend, inspired by hit song memory.

Image credits: Melissa_C19

Twitter user expressing emotional support mentioning Taylor Swift, highlighting the mom of late Taylor Swift friend breaking silence after 15 years.

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Tweet from Alanna sharing emotional reaction to Taylor Swift's hit song Ruin The Friendship related to late friend’s memory.

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Screenshot of a tweet by Charlie Anthony paying tribute to the late Taylor Swift friend, 15 years after his passing.

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Alt text: Tweet offering support and encouragement from mom of late Taylor Swift friend 15 years after his passing due to hit song

Image credits: ImTrying25

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