Taylor Swift has spent the last couple weeks doing what she did this time last year: staying mostly out of the public eye. But she reemerged on Instagram yesterday and shared a cat video to indicate all's well in the world of Taylor...and all's well with her and Selena Gomez's friendship—just look very closely.
Fans noticed a framed photo of the two in the background of an Olivia Benson shot.
Sneaky, but Gomez did it first when she snuck a Taylor Swift Easter egg in her 'Bad Liar' video.
Swift spent most of last year out of the paparazzi's lens, meaning there were no recent public photos of her, Gomez, or really any of her girl squad. But—unlike Swift's relationship with other best friend Karlie Kloss, which may or may not be on the rocks—Gomez and Swift are all good. Gomez most recently confirmed so much on December 13 with her happy birthday 'gram to Swift:
'I'm glad you were born,' Gomez wrote. 'You write all the thoughts some aren't able to articulate. (ME!) Thank you for giving a voice to this world that is authentic and inspiring. I wish some knew how big your heart actually is.. it's fierce, bold and freaking wild with light. I'm glad you protect that. Love you @taylorswift.'
Gomez and Swift's last big public event together was the April 2016 iHeartRadio Awards.
But despite the time publicly apart—and Gomez reconciling with Justin Bieber, a relationship Swift once visibly did not support—the friendship privately endures.
Up until yesterday, it was unclear where in the world Swift has been rehearsing for her Reputation tour. The Sun reported that Swift was practically living with her British boyfriend Joe Alwyn in London these days, suggesting she could in the U.K. But new photos she took with two fans hint that Swift is actually out in California. Swift spent 20 minutes with the two guys in Big Sur, while they were out on vacation. They all spent time with birds.
Big Sur is an hour flight away from Los Angeles or a six-hour drive. Swift has a house in Beverly Hills, so the nature excursion was more likely a trip, not an indication of where she's actually based these days.
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she's not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.
