Tate McRae opened up about the overwhelming public reaction to her relationship with The Kid LAROI, according to a new Rolling Stone cover story published Thursday.
The 22-year-old pop star revealed how difficult it was to have her romance and breakup with the Australian artist play out in the public eye.
“It was really scary and overwhelming. I would never talk that way, even about my friends’ lives. I didn’t realize how much it would affect me, the public knowing my private life – because no one knows the full story of anything, ever.”
McRae confirmed the breakup happened in June.
She also expressed frustration with how people discussed their relationship online. “I also hate people painting a situation that’s worse than it is,” she told the outlet.
Despite the challenges, McRae acknowledges the reality of their careers as musicians. Both artists have written songs that fans believe reference their relationship.
“What I’ve had to realize is that he’s going to write songs and I’m going to write songs, and that’s our way of expressing ourselves. That’s our art, that’s our job. And once it’s out there, it’s not mine anymore,” the “Tit for Tat” singer explained.
The Musical Back-and-Forth
Three months after their split, McRae released “Tit for Tat” in September. Fans immediately connected it to The Kid LAROI’s track “A Cold Play,” which dropped the same month as their breakup.
The songs appear to directly respond to each other. The Kid LAROI sings “Fix you, I wish I could” on his track, while McRae fires back with “Fix your f—–‘ self!” on hers.
Timeline of Their Relationship
The romance began quietly in early 2024. McRae sparked dating rumors in January when she posted a mirror selfie on Instagram.
The Kid LAROI added fuel to speculation by commenting a sunglasses emoji on the post.
Over the following months, they were spotted together multiple times. They walked out of a dinner date in Los Angeles and held hands at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto.
The Kid LAROI seemingly confirmed their relationship in April 2024.
During one of his concerts, he told the audience that “his girlfriend” was at the show. McRae was watching from backstage at the time.
The relationship appeared to end as publicly as it began. In July, The Kid LAROI shared a screenshot on X that seemed to confirm their split.
He also addressed accusations that his team was “paying for slander tweets” against McRae. The 22-year-old rapper denied any involvement in negative posts about his ex-girlfriend.
“so yall know I have NOTHING to do with this and I DO NOT co sign this behavior whatsoever. working to get these removed,”
He wrote at the time, sharing what appeared to be a tweet accusing his team of targeting McRae.
Both artists have continued focusing on their music careers since the split. McRae’s latest comments suggest she’s learning to navigate the balance between her personal life and public persona as her career continues to grow.
