Conor Kennedy, the member of the famous political family who dated Taylor Swift in 2012, revealed that he enlisted in Ukraine’s International Legion. Find out why he wanted to “take action” below.
Taylor Swift’s ex, Conor Kennedy, helped the people of Ukraine from the frontlines.
The 28-year-old—whose parents are Robert Kennedy Jr. and the late Mary Richardson Kennedy—revealed on social media that earlier this year he enlisted in Ukraine’s International Legion after Russian military forces invaded the Eastern European country in February.
“I know this story is coming out, so I want to say my piece first to make the best of it and encourage others to take action,” he wrote in an Oct. 14 Instagram post, alongside a picture of his friend on the frontlines in Ukraine. “Like many people, I was deeply moved by what I saw happening in Ukraine over the past year. I wanted to help. When I heard about Ukraine’s International Legion, I knew I was going, and I went to the embassy to enlist the next day.”
Conor said that he only told one person in the U.S. about his enlistment and only gave one person in Ukraine his real name. He shared that he didn’t want those close to him to worry and he “didn’t want to be treated differently there” due to his famous family.
While Conor noted that his time in Ukraine “wasn’t long,” he said he would “take all the risks we took over again.”
For the most part, Conor has kept a low profile since his whirlwind romance with Taylor, 32, ended in Sept. 2012 after only a few months of dating.
Though the pair remained mum on the split, fans believe that the “Bad Blood” singer wrote about Conor in her 2012 song, “Begin Again,” with lyrics referring to starting over after a heartbreak.
With his relationship with Taylor a decade behind him, Conor is now using his platform to bring awareness to what’s happening overseas in Ukraine.
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“For now, I’ll only urge you to help in your personal capacity,” he wrote on Instagram. “Join the legion, help on the border, or send medical supplies. Every day, someone there sacrifices everything for a lasting peace. They can’t be asked to act alone.”
[via]
