Tracking that Taylor Swift-Calvin Harris rumour

Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards. Photo / Getty Images

Superstar couple were always bound to face stories of their break-up — here’s how one no-good post started it.

Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris have been dating for about six months. As they are high-profile celebrities, there will inevitably be rumours about a split.

Right on schedule, the internet started buzzing on Monday that the superstar couple had broken up. And approximately 12 hours later, the internet decided they might be together after all. It was pretty typical as far as these things normally play out, but here's how to trace this one, especially as Swift is a master of image control.

The origins

A month ago, RadarOnline - one of those salacious, anonymously sourced celebrity sites - posted pictures of Harris leaving a Thai massage parlour in Los Angeles after two hours, making the implications clear about what he may or may not have been doing there.

The pick-up

Other sites started to pick up the story, which fuels the internet gossip fire. Gawker wrote that Radar's story was mysteriously deleted, even though you could still find the photos elsewhere, so the story died down.

The rumour

Fast forward: On Monday, Radar published a new item claiming Swift and Harris broke up because of his massage-parlour visit. And hey, they haven't been seen together in paparazzi or Instagram photos in some time.

The denials

As rumour of the break-up started to travel the internet at lightning speed, Swift's publicist tweeted: "I've said it before and I'm saying it again, do not believe Radar Online."

Later, Swift's best friend Selena Gomez said she would have totally known if the couple broke up. Obviously that is something you share with your squad.

"What?! Oh, I don't know. I think I would have found that out," Gomez told Andy Cohen's radio show, according to Us Weekly. "I didn't even know - is that a rumour? Oh gosh, of course. This is honestly so stupid."

Then, the celeb-friendly People magazine quoted its own anonymous source saying the couple had absolutely not broken up: "They are happy and going strong."

The threat to sue

This was bound to happen. Harris tweeted: "It's not going to be a 'happy ending' for everyone I sue for defamation of character for all these bull***t stories."

The confirmation

Swift didn't release a statement ... but she did favourite Harris' tweet. And that says more than so many words. The Washington Post