Taylor Swift And Trans Model Laith Ashley Are A Dreamy Duo In Lavender Haze Video

January 27, 2023
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Taylor Swift surprised fans this week with a steamy new video, but it’s her handsome co-star who has captured the lion’s share of the internet buzz.

True to form, Swift unveiled her video for “Lavender Haze” ― the opening track of her acclaimed “Midnights” album ― exactly at midnight on Friday. Her love interest in the video is played by Laith Ashley, a transgender actor, model and activist.

Written and directed by Swift, the video shows the 11-time Grammy winner in bed beside a shirtless Ashley, who doubles as a TV weatherman. Later, the two are seen canoodling at a party and on a dance floor bathed in purple strobe lights and fog.

In an Instagram post announcing the premiere of “Lavender Haze,” Swift said she “absolutely adored working with” Ashley, who is Dominican American and was raised in New York.

Watch the “Lavender Haze” video below.

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http://taylornation.tumblr.com nnWritten by Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, Zoë Kravitz, Mark Anthony Spears, Jahaan Akil Sweet &nSam DewnnMeet me at midnight …nStaring at the ceiling with younOh, you don’t ever say too muchnAnd you don’t really read intonMy melancholianI been under scrutinynYou handle it beautifullynAll this shit is new to menI feel the lavender haze creeping up on menSurrealnI’m damned if I do give a damn what people saynNo dealnThe 1950s shit they want from menI just wanna stay in that lavender hazenAll they keep asking menIs if I’m gonna be your bridenThe only kinda girl they seenIs a one night or a wifenI find it dizzyingnThey’re bringing up my historynBut you weren’t even listeningnChorusnThat lavender hazenTalk your talk and go viralnI just need this love spiralnGet it off your chestnGet it off my desknTalk your talk and go viralnI just need this love spiralnGet it off your chestnGet it off my desknChorusnGet it off your chestnGet it off my desknI just wanna stay 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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8DLofLM7No?rel=0&enablejsapi=1]

“There is lots of lavender. There is lots of haze,” she wrote. “This was the first video I wrote out of the three that have been released, and this one really helped me conceptualize the world and mood of ‘Midnights,’ like a sultry sleepless ’70s fever dream. Hope you like it.”

Ashley, meanwhile, said appearing in Swift’s video was a “truly magical” experience that he “will never forget.”

“Your storytelling abilities through your music and visuals continue to leave me in awe, inspired, and hopeful,” he wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for being an ally. Representation matters. AND LOVE WILL ALWAYS WIN!”

Ashley’s casting ― which is certainly groundbreaking in a music video released by a pop musician of Swift’s stature ― drew praise from fans and LGBTQ advocacy groups alike.

Though “Lavender Haze” will undoubtedly be remembered as a breakout moment for Ashley, his star has been on the rise for some time.

Having been featured in British GQ and Vogue France, the 33-year-old has been heavily focused on acting lately, landing minor roles on TV series like “Pose” and “Strut.” He’ll soon be seen alongside Rumer Willis in the comedy film “My Divorce Party.”

Speaking to The Advocate in 2021, Ashley said he was grateful for the opportunities he’s thus far been given in Hollywood but stressed that “there’s still a lot of work to be done” about transgender representation in show business.

“There’s training that needs to be done around language; there’s training that needs to be done around trans people in general,” he explained. “I’ve read character breakdowns for TV and film that misgenders the individual … [and] sometimes, not all the time, it does feel like tokenism … They’re not really trying to understand. They’re just like: ‘Oh, they’re calling for diversity, so if we put a trans person in as this character, we’ll get funded.’”

Laith Ashley at the 2022 Outfest Legacy Awards Gala in Los Angeles. The actor had the internet abuzz after his featured guest appearance in the new Taylor Swift music video for her song "Lavender Haze."
Laith Ashley at the 2022 Outfest Legacy Awards Gala in Los Angeles. The actor had the internet abuzz after his featured guest appearance in the new Taylor Swift music video for her song “Lavender Haze.”

Jon Kopaloff via Getty Images

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