'Brunette Taylor Swift' Goes Viral, Internet Says She's Star's Doppelgänger

Newsweek

16-07-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A Philadelphia woman has stunned the internet with her striking resemblance to Taylor Swift, and she even gets stopped in the street by people telling her how much she looks like the singer.
Being compared to Taylor Swift is certainly not a bad thing, but Mary Devlin, 28, has heard those comparisons ever since 2006. When she was just 9 years old, one of her aunts pointed out how much Devlin looked like that "new country singer" who was bursting onto the scene.
As the years went by, and Swift's presence continued to grow, more and more people told Devlin how similar they looked. Indeed, by the time Swift released her album Red in 2012, and 1989 in 2014, Devlin was working as a live musician, and she told Newsweek that she got the comment "nearly every day."
As much as she admires Swift's work ethic and her business acumen, she didn't really have the same aesthetic that Devlin was hoping for.
Mary Devlin pictured in her car, showing her resemblance to Swift.
Mary Devlin pictured in her car, showing her resemblance to Swift.
@beatledirt / Instagram
"The comparisons became frequent during Taylor's Red era and all during the 1989 years," Devlin, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said. "I actually used to hate it because I was trying to look like rock muse Pattie Boyd, and I wanted people to tell me I had a 1960s look, not a Taylor Swift look.
"But Taylor having bangs and a vintage look during the 2010s definitely didn't help my case. I got offers to work as a Taylor Swift impersonator back then, but I turned them down."
People will go up to Devlin in real life and tell her how much she looks like Swift, or joke that they "didn't know Taylor Swift worked here." It's mostly just brief interactions in person, and Devlin has become accustomed to laughing it off and thanking them.
Devlin has even gone viral on Instagram (@beatledirt) for her unquestionable resemblance to the iconic singer. She recently shared a clip joking about how frequently people tell her she looks like Swift, and the post went viral with over 859,000 views in a matter of days.
Alongside the video, Devlin wrote in the caption that it's "a weird thing to grow up with" but she understands where people are coming from.
Over the years, Devlin has been told about the likeness by people who claim to have been Swift's former neighbors, by photographers at events, and even a former Kansas City Chiefs player too.
"I used to hate getting the comment because I'm a singer/songwriter and I didn't want to constantly be compared to one of the biggest stars of our generation," Devlin told Newsweek. "I really wanted to look like Pattie Boyd or Jean Shrimpton. That's why I think it's funny when people think I'm trying to look like her—I just like wearing eyeliner and lipstick.
"Now that I'm older, I appreciate the comparison. I know it comes from a nice place and usually it starts nice conversations about Taylor's music. It's wonderful to hear people talk about how an artist helped them in some way."
She doesn't just get called a "brunette Taylor Swift" either, as Devlin has also been told how much she looks like Jessica Biel, Liv Tyler, Jessica Pare, Emma Stone and Joni Mitchell.
But perhaps one of the strangest elements of going viral for her resemblance to Swift is when social media users get angry about it. Some people will furiously comment that she "doesn't look that much like her," and suggest that Devlin is exaggerating how often she gets compared to Swift.
"I don't really care if people don't see a resemblance because I don't try to look like her, but I am sort of shocked when the comments border on being rude or become mean. At the end of the day everyone sees things a little differently," Devlin said.
After highlighting how often she gets compared to Swift, the Instagram post went viral and plenty of social media users took to the comments to share their thoughts.
One comment reads: "I definitely see it, you really look like Red era Taylor Swift!"
Another Instagram user wrote: "Liv Tyler and Taylor Swift had a baby."
While another person replied: "The ultimate compliment."
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