At this rate, it feels like there's a new headline about Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston on a daily basis. Their whirlwind romance has gone global — not to mention trips down water slides, rumored talks about having children, and matching outfits. But hold up, there's far more important news about the "22" singer to discuss. According to Forbes, Swift is the top-earning celebrity of 2016. In the past year, she raked in $170 million. Yes, you read that number correctly. So, the next time you think she's using another person for attention, this latest accomplishment shows she doesn't need a fame boost from anyone.
As for how Swift earned so much cash, you may recall a little (and by "little," I mean gigantic) event called the 1989 World Tour. The 26-year-old traveled the world, performing hits like "Wildest Dreams" and "Shake It Off." On top of that, she's had endorsement deals, most notably with Apple, which fell into place after that whole letter she wrote to the company about not streaming artists' music for free. Over the course of her career, she's built an empire for herself and the past 365 days may have been her most successful yet. Forbes reported that her total earnings on their 2015 list was $80 million. While that's still a huge amount, she more than doubled it this year.
Ever since #Hiddleswift became an item (and a hashtag), there have been rumors galore about the validity of their relationship. Admittedly, the timing is a little questionable. Since Swift and Calvin Harris had just broken up, some people thought it was too quick to rebound. Soon after things ended, Swift and Hiddleston kissed on giant rocks in Rhode Island. Then the pair traveled to Nashville, England, and Rome in under two weeks. They also already met one another's parents. That's a lot to happen in such a short amount of time. Plus, most of their paparazzi photos were taken by the same agency. It's enough to raise an eyebrow, but doesn't necessarily mean she's faking a relationship with Hiddleston for the sake of furthering her popularity and giving her next album a boost. Especially since she already has plenty of album sales to her name.
Tying into the idea of building her own success, let's take a moment to remember what Swift told fans at the 2016 Grammys. She said,
"There are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame, but, if you just focus on the work and you don't let those people sidetrack you, someday when you get where you're going you'll look around and you will know that it was you and the people who love you who put you there."
Those comments were believed to be directed at a certain person (ahem, Kanye West), but they're equally applicable here. Swift's fame and accomplishments are of her own accord, so the notion that she's dating Hiddleston to get ahead no longer seems valid. How could she use another person to move forward, if she's already leading the pack? There's not really a need for that.
I'll admit I am rather puzzled by Hiddleswift and how fast their relationship is moving ahead, but at least this helps put one part of those conspiracy theories to rest.
