In an interview with the New Yorker last year, Taylor Swift admitted that some of the songs on her upcoming album are sad. Unfortunately, rumors this week indicate that Swift may not have been singing from her own painful relationship experience, but rather from the knowledge that her parents' marriage was on the rocks. According to a recent report, Swift's parents have separated.

It's hard to imagine country music's sweetheart -- who has swept plenty of awards shows since she entered the country music scene in her teenage years -- experiencing the sadness and pain that comes with a difficult divorce. In the press, the young 22-year-old singer seems like a happy-go-lucky star who has the world at her fingertips.

According to the unconfirmed report from Star magazine -- via Radar Online -- Swift's parents, Andrea and Scott, were married for 25 years before they decided to part ways. The Swifts are rumored to have separated sometime within the past two years, but they have kept their marital issues from the press.

"The Swifts stopped wearing their wedding rings," the 'Star' source revealed. "They haven't filed for divorce because they don't want it to damage Taylor's career."

As for Swift, well, she's apparently dealing with her parents' separation like any young woman close to her family would. "She's been going through a lot," the source continued. "The new album will showcase the pain of her parents' separation."

The 'Story of Us' hitmaker's rents have allegedly kept their problems out of the public eye in order to save her career, but the Star story makes it sound like it was the singer's busy schedule which contributed to the stress of her parents' marriage.

"Andrea being on tour with Taylor full-time has really been hard on her relationship with Scott," the unnamed commenter adds.

It's hard to say exactly what is going on between the Swifts -- if anything -- at this point, but our thoughts are with the family if they are truly navigating through a difficult time.

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