The high-profile relationship between Taylor Swift and Conor Kennedy has received massive amounts of attention since it began. Many of that attention has been negative, and one of Conor’s cousins has spoken out against the hate speech.

The relationship has apparently received accusations that Conor is simply engaging with Swift to help himself get over the loss of his mother, Mary Richardson, who committed suicide last spring. Conor’s cousin Christopher Lawford, former actor-turned-activist and author, tells the Inside Track that the perception of the relationship as not genuine and some kind of play for added comfort is unfair and the couple should not be treated that way.

“Mary Richardson was a big-hearted individual who cared deeply for her kids and they’ve suffered greatly for her not being there,” Lawford said. “So whatever Conor has to do to comfort himself, he should do it as long as they are both happy and healthy…and left alone.”

A former addict, Lawford battled drugs and alcohol for decades before finally cleaning up. He’s used his reprieve to become a global activist for addiction awareness. In other words, he knows a thing or two about encountering devastating problems and recovering from them.

Even if Conor’s relationship with Swift really is just a “rebound” for him trying to cope with the loss of his mother, it’s still a relationship that should be kept as private as possible. Obviously dating someone as high-profile as Swift will make your life much more public, but there comes a point where people attack them without realizing they’re attacking real people.

Do you think Taylor Swift and Conor Kennedy deserve to be left alone? share your thoughts in the comments.

See also:

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• Taylor Swift Gives Free Tickets to Horace Mann School for the Deaf in Allston
• Taylor Swift Introduces New Song ‘Begin Again’ — Starts Countdown To Album Release