Taylor Swift was one of the many celebrities who gathered to celebrate Lena Dunham's milestone 40th birthday in New York City on Tuesday night. The 36-year-old megastar, stunning in a bridal white look, joined her close friend of more than a decade at the birthday bash.
Swift was not the only big name in attendance. Emily Ratajkowski and Andrew Rannells were also there to mark Dunham's special day. Rannells, 47, who played Dunham's ex-boyfriend in her series Girls, posted a photo on social media featuring himself, Swift, Dunham, and Ratajkowski with her director boyfriend Romain Gavras. Dunham's husband, Luis Felber, was also present.
In a humorous caption, Rannells thanked Dunham for taking the photo 'so I can seem cool for the kids.' Swift appeared to be drinking a negroni as she looked back to pose for the snap with a slight smile.
Celebrity Connections and Past Controversies
The gathering was particularly interesting given past connections. In March 2023, Ratajkowski was seen passionately kissing Swift's ex-boyfriend Harry Styles on the streets of Tokyo. Swift and Styles, now 32, had a brief romance from late 2012 to 2013.
Ratajkowski previously admitted she was not a fan of Swift until 2023. In an interview with Elle at the time, she said: 'I recently became a Swiftie. I loved her last album and I've seen her documentary, but I wasn't following her career in the same way the last 10-plus years.' She added that she was struck by Swift's clarity in a video about what made her uncomfortable, noting the evolution of her own perspective over the years.
'She's another example of a woman who has been faced with such blatant misogyny and sexism, and yet we don't want to admit that, because she's powerful and successful, and also she's white,' Ratajkowski added.
Swift's Birthday Outfit
At Dunham's party, the Bad Blood songstress put on a leggy display wearing a white sweater dress with a pleated skirt. Her blonde locks were pulled back into a chic ponytail with bangs falling onto her forehead. A light blush added color to her cheekbones, and she wore a peach-colored matte tint on her lips.
A Friendship Spanning Over a Decade
Swift and Dunham have been friends for a very long time. Their sisterhood began online in 2012 when Dunham first tweeted about how important Swift's music was to her. Praising the artist, she wrote: 'Judging by how much she's helped me thus far, Taylor Swift is going to write the song that finally gets me comfortable with death.'
Later that year, after the release of Swift's album Red, Dunham tweeted again: 'Update: @taylorswif3's album is triumphant. If she'd been here when I was in college I would have written papers on her, not Sylvia Plath.' Overjoyed, Swift replied, raving about Dunham's comedy series Girls.
After Swift followed Dunham, the director replied, and the friendship officially began. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Swift revealed Dunham's first message to her read: 'I am so excited about the prospect of being friends with you that I added the adjective best in front of it.'
The pair were seen cuddling at the Grammys in 2013, when Dunham was dating Swift's producer Jack Antonoff. In 2015, Dunham appeared in Swift's Bad Blood music video, joining a star-studded cast including Hailee Steinfeld, Gigi Hadid, Selena Gomez, and Hayley Williams. She later joined Swift on stage at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to perform the song.
Defending Swift's Dating History
Swift is known for her string of exes that often inspire her music, but Dunham has defended her friend's dating history. On the Howard Stern show in 2017, she explained: 'I think that young woman…it's so hard. I think about the relationships that I had in my early twenties and if they had been public, it would've been a disaster.' She added that any male actor her age dating is applauded, while Swift faces impossibly high standards from the press.
The pair have also expressed their love for each other online. In 2018, Dunham penned a gushing message after Swift's show at the Rose Bowl in California, writing: 'This is a love note to @taylorswift. I was a fan before I was a friend and her music formed the soundtrack to so much love & loss & discovery.' She added: 'When we became friends 6 years ago I didn't know she'd also prove to be the loyal and hilarious cat lady who loved me through every rough moment and the triumphant ones too.'
In 2021, Swift served as one of Dunham's bridesmaids at her wedding to Luis Felber in London. Dunham confessed she hadn't seen some friends in over a year due to the pandemic, making the celebration especially meaningful.
