Elizabeth Taylor’s Son Reacts to Taylor Swift Using His Mom’s Name Again

Taylor Swift paid tribute to a Hollywood legend — and won over the family in the process.

The 35-year-old superstar nodded to the late Elizabeth Taylor in her song Elizabeth Taylor off her recently released album Life of a Showgirl, referencing the Oscar winner’s famous violet eyes and signature perfume, White Diamonds. 

The track also included a mention of Portofino, the Italian seaside town that was one of the screen icon’s favorite getaways.

Elizabeth’s son Christopher Wilding told People on Wednesday that he was deeply touched by the tribute, calling Swift’s nods to his mother ‘especially magical.’

Wilding, 70 — the second son of Elizabeth and her former husband, British actor Michael Wilding — said he listened to the track ‘the day it became available.’

‘She and my mom do seem like kindred spirits. They are both the very embodiment of female empowerment,’ he said. ‘The way [Swift] has deftly captured the similarities and parallel tracks in their careers and personal lives is delightful.’ 

Elizabeth, who died in 2011 at 79 from congestive heart failure, was celebrated not only for her film career but also for her groundbreaking activism. 

She founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in 1991 and was one of the first major celebrities to champion the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Her son said those qualities reminded him of Swift’s own efforts to use her platform for good.

‘Even as I believe my mother was for hers, Taylor Swift is an inspirational role model for her generation,’ Wilding said. 

‘Her advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights as well as her philanthropic work would have garnered her great admiration from my mother had they had a chance to get to know one another.’

Of course, longtime fans know this isn’t the first time Taylor has referenced the Hollywood legend. 

She’s openly admired Elizabeth for years — even name-dropping her with the lyric ‘Burton to my Taylor’ on her 2018 Reputation album, a nod to the screen icon’s famously turbulent love affair with actor Richard Burton.   

The Oscar winner became a mother for the first time in 1953 when she and then-husband Michael Wilding welcomed their son, Michael Wilding Jr. 

Two years later, they expanded their family with the birth of Christopher before divorcing in 1957.

That same year, Elizabeth married producer Mike Todd, and in 1957 they welcomed a daughter, Elizabeth “Liza” Todd. 

Following Todd’s tragic death in a plane crash in 1958, Taylor went on to remarry several times. 

By the time she wed her Cleopatra costar Burton in 1964, she was already in the process of adopting her youngest child, Maria McKeown.

Christopher later made his own mark in Hollywood. 

In 1981, he married oil heiress Aileen Getty, and the couple had two sons — Caleb, born in 1983, and Andrew, born in 1984 — before divorcing in 1989. 

He later remarried, tying the knot with Margaret Carlton, with whom he shares a son, Lowell, born in 1992.

A former photographer and film sound editor, Christopher worked on titles like Tombstone and Overboard before retiring from the industry.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s legacy continues through her official estate, the House of Taylor, which recently celebrated Swift’s tribute with a themed product line. 

The collection includes a ‘showgirl’-inspired sweatshirt and a limited-edition violet eyes T-shirt — both nods to the pop star’s song and the screen icon’s trademarks. 

A portion of proceeds from all items, including sales of the bestselling perfume White Diamonds, goes to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.

Reflecting on his mother’s enduring impact, Christopher tols People, ‘Her life has been lived and her time in the spotlight is now over, but I hope that who my mother was as a person and the fearless life she led will continue to inspire generations to come.’