Picking a godparent is usually about choosing someone who’ll stick around for the long haul. Someone to show up for birthdays, graduations, maybe a guitar lesson or two. So when Jaime King asked Taylor Swift to be her son Leo’s godmother back in 2015, fans figured the bond was for life.
But nearly a decade later, things look a little different.
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“Taylor and Jaime are not close anymore and don’t talk,” a source told The U.S. Sun on Friday, March 21. However, despite the distance, “there is still love,” the insider said, adding that the 35-year-old “Cruel Summer” singer still sends 9-year-old Leo gifts for special occasions and “would be there in a heartbeat” if he ever needed her. (King, 45, shares Leo with ex-husband Kyle Newman — the former pair are also parents to son James, 13.)
“[Swift] has always taken her godmother role and duties very seriously,” the source noted. “[She] is the most caring and thoughtful person Jaime could’ve asked to be there for Leo. But their relationship is a lot different now than it was back when Jaime asked Taylor to be his godmother. There is no regular contact.”
Welcome to the world baby Leo Thames! Congrats on your new godson @taylorswift13
pic.twitter.com/6zKrVUKbt2
— Taylor Swift News (@TSwiftNZ) July 29, 2015
The duo’s friendship first sparked in 2014 after meeting at a Golden Globes party, and they were inseparable for a while — posting on social media, attending events, and even working together. (Newman, 49, directed Swift’s “Style” music video, released in February 2015.)
After Leo was born, the award-winning artist flew to L.A. to meet him and shared a photo on Instagram holding his tiny hand. Captioned with a lyric from “Never Grow Up,” Swift wrote: “Your little hand’s wrapped around my finger and it’s so quiet in the world tonight…”
While it’s not exactly clear why Swift and King have gone their separate ways, the Hart of Dixie actress has faced a series of personal challenges in recent years. Following her 2020 split from Newman, King was granted limited, supervised visitation with her two sons after failing to complete court-ordered rehab and parenting programs. According to court documents obtained by People, Newman was awarded sole physical custody, while the two share legal custody.
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