Taylor Swift’s high school best friend Abigail Anderson has remained one of the singer’s closest confidantes for more than two decades. “The Voice’s” first Mega Mentor met Anderson as a freshman at Hendersonville High School in Tennessee, and the two have stayed close through Swift’s rise to global superstardom. From inspiring songs to celebrating milestones together, Anderson has been part of many chapters in Swift’s life. Fans can only assume that Anderson is preparing to be a part of Swift’s bridal party as she marries Travis Kelce over the July Fourth weekend. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Abigail Anderson and Taylor Swift Have Been Best Friends Since High School
Abigail and Taylor met on the first day of their freshman year at Hendersonville High School when they were assigned seats next to each other in English class.
During a 2009 appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” Taylor recalled how quickly they bonded.
“She wanted to be a swimmer and go off on a college scholarship for swimming and I wanted to be a singer,” Taylor said. “Now she’s off at Kansas on a swimming scholarship and I’m singing.”
Their friendship has lasted through every stage of Taylor’s career, and Abigail has remained one of the people closest to the superstar.
2. Taylor Swift’s BFF Inspired the Song ‘Fifteen’ — and Later Appeared in Another Song
Abigail became part of Taylor’s music history when she inspired portions of the 2008 hit “Fifteen.”
Taylor sings, “You sit in class next to a redhead named Abigail / And soon enough you’re best friends.”
Later in the song, she reflects on Abigail’s first heartbreak.
“And Abigail gave everything she had to a boy who changed his mind / We both cried.”
Nearly 20 years later, Abigail was mentioned again in Taylor’s 2025 song “Ruin the Friendship” from “The Life of a Showgirl.”
“When I left school I lost track of you / Abigail called me with the bad news …”
In 2023, Abigail attended the Eras Tour stop in Nashville, where Taylor performed “Fifteen” as a surprise song and dedicated it to her “beautiful, redheaded high school best friend.”
After singing the lyric “We both cried,” Taylor smiled and added, “And that’s alright.”
3. Abigail Anderson Was a Standout College Swimmer
While Taylor pursued music, Abigail achieved her own dream in athletics.
She was a four-year letter winner and swimmer of the year during all four years at Hendersonville High School before earning a swimming scholarship to the University of Kansas.
At Kansas, Abigail competed in butterfly and backstroke and scored 77 points for the Jayhawks at the 2011 Big 12 Championships.
Taylor proudly celebrated her friend’s success during her Oprah interview, saying they had both achieved the goals they set as teenagers.
4. Anderson Has Popped Up in Swift’s Documentaries and Music Videos
Abigail has appeared throughout Taylor’s career, both on screen and in music videos.
Not only did she play herself in the video for “Fifteen” and also appeared in “Picture to Burn,” “I’m Only Me When I’m with You,” and “New Romantics.”
She was also featured in the 2019 documentary “Miss Americana.”
During one memorable scene, the friends shared dinner while discussing life and family.
“I think you’d be an excellent mother. No questions,” Abigail told Taylor.
5. Abigail Anderson Is Married and Recently Welcomed Her First Child
Abigail has built a successful career outside of the spotlight.
She works as chief of staff for corporate development at payment technology company Celero Commerce, where she helps oversee mergers and acquisitions, according to the company’s website.
Taylor once praised Abigail’s work ethic while speaking with Entertainment Tonight.
“Abigail works with making sure that veterans from World War II get their compensation,” she said. “It couldn’t be more different from my career or Lena [Dunham]’s career, but the fact that she is so passionate about what she does allows her to be able to relate to me on that level.”
After divorcing her first husband, photographer Matt Lucier, Abigail married Charles “Charlie” Berard in 2022.
In 2024, she announced the couple was expecting their first child by quoting Taylor’s song “But Daddy I Love Him.”
“I’m having his babyyyy… 💙,” she wrote on Instagram.
Taylor couldn’t resist joining the fun, commenting, “When the internet says ‘MOTHER’ I feel like this pic is actually what they mean.”
