If the 4th of July comes and goes without photos of T. Swift and her squad in American flag bikinis, does Independence Day even happen? For almost five years now, Taylor Swift's 4th of July party has dazzled fans all over the world via social media and tabloids. But, on this very day of July 4th, 2017, there has been nothing. No coordinated outfits, no artfully staged group shots on the grass, no insight into Swift's Rhode Island Mansion, and certainly no Hiddleswift. With such radio silence from Swift on Independence Day, fans are starting to wonder if Swift's 4th of July party is even happening.
Swift might not have the proof of her annual bash up on Instagram — yet — but particularly investigative fans have gathered some evidence that, in fact, the country-turned-pop singer is hosting a party. According to fans on Twitter, Swift's parents have been spotted walking around Rhode Island, where Swift annually gathers her famous friends and girl squad to celebrate. Furthermore, some amateur paparazzi have taken photos of the giant, inflatable red, white, and blue water slide being set up on Swift's property. So, either Swift's July 4th party is happening right now, or someone is jumping through a lot of hoops to trick fans.
Those red and white arches look familiar?
So, if the slide is set up and July 4th weekend is underway, then where are the photos? A quick look at Swift's squad members' Instagram and Twitter profiles turns up zilch. Swift herself hasn't posted anything new on Instagram since March 3, and her last Tweet was posted in late May following the Manchester attacks. As Swift has adopted a distance from social media, so, it seems, have her squad. Karlie Kloss, Martha Hunt, Ruby Rose, Cara Delevingne, Lorde, Gigi Hadid, Camilla Cabello, Blake Lively, HAIM, Halston Sage, and more have all either refrained form posting on social media or shared photos from other events to wish fans a happy holiday. Swift's childhood friends Britany Maack and Abigail Anderson have also refrained from posting any celebratory pics, as has her brother Austin Swift. Only one member of Swift's squad has shared a Happy 4th of July selfie, and that's Ed Sheeran.
The photo seems pretty innocent, until you look at the caption, "Reppin' on July 4th." Sheeran, a proud Brit, wears red shorts and an O2 and England Rugby jersey in the photo. The outfit is reminiscent of 2015, when Sheeran showed up to Swift's Independence Day party wearing a red coat. Could Sheeran possibly be carrying on his tradition of celebrating England at Swift's infamously American party?
Assuming Sheeran really is celebrating the Holiday with Swift at her Rhode Island home, then why is he the only guest sharing photos? Well, it could be because Swift seems to have made a very conscious decision to step back from Twitter and Instagram and take more precautions when it comes to the paparazzi. Following last year's 4th of July publicity blitz thanks to the debut of her very public relationship with Tom Hiddleston, the singer has taken steps to make her personal life more private. Her current relationship with actor Joe Alwyn, for example, has been kept largely away from prying eyes and cameras. However, many fans hoped Swift would use the 4th of July to celebrate and share her new love. A report from HollywoodLife.com suggested as much, citing a source who promised that "Taylor will once again get together with her squad and hopes to share fun selfies with her hunk with the world." But, as of 3:00 p.m. ET, no photos have been posted, and fans are starting to get anxious.
Have hope, Swift fans, the celebrations have only just begun, and exceptionally curated photos of beautiful celebrities sporting their red, white, and blue, could still be just around the corner.
