In a discussion with Vogue, Abrams shared that her third-grade teacher inspired her love for writing by giving her students small, flimsy pocket journals. She said, “She really got me started on writing in general, and I discovered that it was my favorite way to spend my time. In fact, I eventually preferred expressing myself through writing rather than face-to-face conversations with others.”
However, disaster struck one morning when she realized her beloved journal had been lost. “I was so angry,” she explained to Dazed. “So I sat in the garage and banged on the drums about losing my journal and how devastating that felt. It was the equivalent of sprinting really hard until you want to vomit.” The “That’s So True” singer acknowledges how privileged she was to grow up in a home with musical instruments. However, far from showing off her talents, her desire to keep her thoughts personal meant she never let anyone else in the family hear her work.
Gracie Abrams dropped out of college
After graduating from Los Angeles’ The Archer School for Girls in 2018, Gracie Abrams landed a place at New York’s Barnard College on its International Relations program. Of course, as we now know, the Californian soon decided a career in music was preferable to a career in politics, and after just a year’s studying, she left to pursue her showbiz dreams.
Abrams’ stint at the all-women’s institution may have only been relatively brief. But she still managed to take away several life lessons, as she explained to Vanity Fair in 2023. “I personally found that you’re removing a factor that is so real when you grow up as a girl — these social dynamics where there’s a certain sexism,” she posited. “I felt zero fear or hesitation to raise my hand every single time I had a thought about anything.” And, as unlikely as it seems, Abrams has expressed a desire to join the likes of Natalie Portman, Mayim Bialik, Emma Watson, and Leah Remini in the exclusive club of celebrities who have gone back to school after becoming famous.
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She dated singer-songwriter Blake Slatkin for five years
Before dating Academy Award nominee Paul Mescal, Gracie Abrams was partnered with another man who plied his trade in the entertainment industry. In fact, the Californian often mixed business with pleasure, working with singer-songwriter boyfriend Blake Slatkin throughout much of her early career.
Indeed, Slatkin, now a Grammy winner thanks to his production on Lizzo’s chart smash “About Damn Time,” helped out on Abrams’ 2020 debut EP, “Minor,” her 2021 follow-up, “This Is What It Feels Like,” and the one-off singles “Brush Fire” and “Mess It Up.” And the multi-talent didn’t appear to mind his girlfriend was often singing about their relationship, even during a temporary break-up.
“His is the most comfortable space that I’ve ever worked in before, and we kind of share the same brain sometimes,” Abrams told Riff in 2021 about her times in the studio with Slatkin. “He was obviously patient and very lovely and gracious, and not making it anything other than a super comforting professional space.” But their working and personal partnership came to an end after five years in 2022, with musician and producer Aaron Dessner taking over in the former and Phoebe Bridgers’ ex Mescal in the latter.
Gracie Abrams writes much of her material with her best friend
Look at the credits of Gracie Abrams’ 2024 sophomore album, “The Secret of Us.” Alongside high-profile figures, such as The National’s Aaron Dessner, producer extraordinaire Jack Antonoff, and his frequent collaborator, Taylor Swift, you will notice an unfamiliar name with no previous songwriting experience to her name. So who exactly is Audrey Hobert?
Well, she’s Abrams’ childhood BFF and “favorite person on the planet.” Having just moved in together during the album’s conception, Hobert — a New York University graduate and one-time Warner Bros. production assistant — proved to be a vital lyrical partner-in-crime. “We would spill every detail of our lives in the time that we had,” Abrams explained to Spin. “There was a real urgency to our storytelling, and it very naturally led to us songwriting together. We were like, ‘We know how this night went down, but how do we amplify it or make it so dramatic that people want to scream it when we’re all at a show together?'”
This includes the LP’s biggest single “That’s So True,” which hit No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts on the other side of the Atlantic. “It’s such an angsty, sarcastic song,” Abrams told Nylon. “Audrey and I were drunk on the roof, writing it in tears, laughing. The initial lyrics were way gnarlier.”
Gracie says she basically ‘blacked out’ while performing with Taylor Swift
Gracie Abrams was given the honor of opening up for friend and musical mentor Taylor Swift throughout the world-conquering Eras Tour, a literal tour inside all of Swift’s eras. But her most memorable experience during this run was a night her set was canceled.
While appearing on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in 2024, Abrams explained how the Cincinnati weather delayed then cancelled her support slot on the grounds of safety. But with the main act allowed to go ahead, the Californian was then kindly invited by Swift to join her on stage for a duet of “I Miss You, I’m Sorry.” Unfortunately, the performance didn’t exactly go smoothly.
“It will be like maybe my last memory ever. Like it’s burned,” Abrams expressed to Jimmy Fallon about her impromptu appearance in front of thousands of screaming fans. “So we ran it one time in her room and then did it there. It was just in the middle of her set and I blacked out the whole time.” Luckily, the Grammy nominee managed to enjoy the rest of her time on the tour’s North American leg and gain some valuable insight to her craft at the same time: “I watched every single one of her [Swift’s] shows that I was lucky enough to open — I think I did 31 and I watched from every place possible in each stadium just trying to pick up on how she’s able to do what she does.”
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She’s pro-choice
Gracie Abrams certainly isn’t afraid to put her head above the parapet when it comes to the thorny issue of abortion. The “Close To You” singer has repeatedly expressed her support for the pro-choice movement, whether it’s raising money for the National Network of Abortion Funds via the sale of limited-edition clothing, or speaking out on her social media platforms and in interviews after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“This is the time for unity, rage, urgency, strength and stamina,” Abrams stated in an Instagram post (via Sky News) about the latter. “Because they’re not just coming for abortion. They’re coming for contraception. They’re coming for gay marriage.” And in a chat with Metal, the Californian argued that as a global chart-topping star, she now feels it’s her duty to keep fighting for the cause.
“There’s no time anymore to not care,” Abrams remarked. “I think especially with Roe being overturned, I just kept thinking of all of the young women at all of my shows, just seeing their faces, it’s just impossible to not be horrified and crushed and furious. It’s a requirement, I would feel so deeply irresponsible if I said nothing.”
Gracie Abrams once suffered from debilitating stage fright
It’s hard to imagine that a singer-songwriter who’s performed for millions of fans both on television and in concert once suffered from stage fright so severe it caused her to vomit. But yes, before waltzing on to the stage as the opening act on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour or confidently performing on the late-night TV circuit, Gracie Abrams felt sick as a parrot at just the thought of playing live.
“I really, really, really, really, really, really never wanted to do it ever,” Abrams told the CBC’s “Q with Tom Power” in 2024. The Californian then admitted she instantly became panicked after signing her record deal with Interscope, as she’d be forced to confront her biggest fear. “It was real anxiety, like hard-core. Not cute for sure.”
Luckily, Abrams managed to overcome the issue thanks to a mixture of time and exposure therapy. However, there are still certain occasions when the nerves nearly get the better of her, as she explained to Vogue: “I remember the first time we walked out for a show for the Eras Tour and I was shaking. So for the second one, I was just like, I want to be as present as possible.”
She tries to stay off the internet
Gracie Abrams may have accrued an almighty five million followers on Instagram (and similarly impressive numbers on TikTok and X, formerly known as Twitter, too). But that doesn’t mean she’s entirely on board with the social media age.
Speaking to Glamour in 2024 about her experiences on such platforms in the wake of her chart-topping success, the “Everywhere, Everything” singer claimed she’s spending less of her spare time on them. And the fact that she described the internet as a place “where people go to kill people” no doubt explains why.
“I think that it’s like a joy and light-seeking missile,” Abrams went on to add. “In order for me to protect my head, I have tried to neutralize the good and the bad. If you put weight on a compliment, then there’s equal weight behind someone coming at you.” The singer-songwriter then acknowledged one of her coping mechanisms is to put her phone down and remember that whatever is being said in the digital world has no real bearing in the physical.
Gracie Abrams doesn’t find the nepo baby conversation insulting
In December 2022, New York magazine published a viral piece about the rise of the Hollywood nepo baby — the term given to anyone who has followed a famous parent into the same industry. Although she hadn’t yet scored a Hot 100 hit or released an album, Gracie Abrams was included.
For those who don’t already know, the Californian is the daughter of J.J. Abrams, the Emmy-winning creator of “Lost,” director of various “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” films, and writer/producer of “Armageddon,” “Cloverfield,” and countless other box office smashes. Luckily, unlike other stars who’ve been given the label, Gracie hasn’t taken too much umbrage.
“Obviously we can’t control where we are born into, and there are a million visible and even more invisible advantages to having family members who are in any entertainment industry,” Gracie told Rolling Stone in 2023. “I know how hard I work, and I know how separate I’ve kept [my parents] from every conversation about anything career-wise, but of course you can understand what it looks like from the outside.”
Gracie’s ultimate role model is her mom
Gracie Abrams has rubbed shoulders with some of the most important female figures working today. Who can forget how she opened up for Taylor Swift on the North American leg of her Eras Tour, for example? That same year, the Californian was also personally requested by Vice President Kamala Harris to appear at a campaign rally in Wisconsin. However, when it comes to her ultimate role model, the “Risk” singer looks a lot closer to home.
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Indeed, Abrams hasn’t stopped gushing about her film and TV executive mom, Katie McGrath, since rising to fame. “The toughest person I know, and not a softie,” was how the singer-songwriter described her in an interview with Nylon. “The way that she treats people is how I want to treat people.” In fact, the chart-topper believes that she wouldn’t be pursuing a career in music if it wasn’t for her supportive mother.
Abrams had also waxed lyrical about her mother in a chat with Glamour, remarking how she hoped to be more like her in the future: “I admire her wholeheartedly … To see her fearlessness in these spaces is something that inevitably has guided me as a woman.”
Gracie is supportive of her support acts
Never let it be said Gracie Abrams doesn’t have her support acts’ backs. In 2025, the Grammy Award nominee felt compelled to speak out after fans organized a petition to replace Dora Jar as the opener for her forthcoming U.K. and European tour.
An unforgiving section of her fanbase argued Jar wasn’t a big enough name for the role and that her slow-tempo material might not set the right tone for the main act. Abrams was having none of it, though, and soon took to Instagram to defend her fellow singer-songwriter. “Just hearing about this absolute ridiculousness … so wildly uncool and bizarre and also just does not remotely add up,” she stated (via Stereogum).
If that wasn’t enough, Abrams then also implored her fans to stream Jar’s music whether they were attending one of her gigs or not. She later reiterated her approval on another Instagram Story, captioning an image of Jar (via People), “I am so excited to share a stage with this gem of an artist. Love you Dora.”
Gracie Abrams is obsessed with Joni Mitchell
The 2024 Grammy Awards ceremony was one almighty special occasion for Gracie Abrams. Not only was the singer-songwriter nominated in the best new artist category, but she also got to see her all-time musical favorite in the flesh.
Indeed, Abrams is a super-fan of folk legend Joni Mitchell, who, despite suffering from various ailments, was also at the ceremony to both perform on its stage for the first time and pick up a tenth career Grammy for the album, “Joni Mitchell at Newport.” In fact, the Californian even has a forearm tattoo inspired by the “Big Yellow Taxi” singer, as she proudly showed off on the way in.
“I have her handwriting tattooed on me,” Abrams told “Grammy Live! from the Red Carpet” (via People) while trying in vain to contain her excitement. “I just really love her more than anything, and so to be in the same vicinity as her … I’m already trying not to lose my s***.” In photos from the ceremony, the two were able to meet and were seen hugging and taking pictures together.
Gracie hasn’t ruled out a career in acting
With the man behind “Lost,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” and “Mission Impossible III” for a dad, Gracie Abrams no doubt has a guaranteed entryway into Hollywood acting should she desire. But perhaps mindful of any further nepo baby accusations, the daughter of filmmaker J.J. Abrams is, for now, putting any acting ambitions on hold.
During a joint interview with “Lost in Translation” director Sofia Coppola for Elle, Abrams was asked whether she’d ever considered pivoting to the screen. “That as a concept excites me very much, though it’s not something that I’m actively seeking out, but I feel just generally open to the universe right now,” she answered.
And Abrams may do more than appear in front of the camera once she gets the movie bug. “I have loved writing dialogue since I was in high school,” the Californian added. “I did it through my time at Barnard and have kept secret imaginary dialogues going over the years.” However, the singer-songwriter insisted her music career is undoubtedly the only focus at the moment. In fact, she’s already itching to record the follow-up to her 2024 sophomore project, “The Secret of Us.”
Gracie is a poet at heart
As any fans who have pored over single song lyric will already know, Gracie Abrams is a keen advocate of one particular literary art form. “I always feel like poetry has been a mediation for me,” the singer-songwriter explained to Dazed in 2024 about why she always carries around her favorite anthology, “Risking Everything: 110 Poems of Love and Revelation,” whenever hitting the road.
Abrams also named the same book, which she was gifted by her TV producer mom Katie McGrath, as one of the items she can’t live without in a piece for The Strategist: “It’s hard to get into specifics because the whole thing together — just how they organized it and everything — is just perfect. I often read it and won’t speak to anyone for the rest of the day because it puts me in such a place of stillness, which I think we could all benefit from.”
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However, Abrams all-time favorite poem is “It Was Like This: You Were Happy,” which was written by Jane Hirshfield in 2002. And it proved to be a major inspiration on her sophomore “The Secret of Us,” as she told The Face: “It feels like she holds all of life in her palm in this poem … There’s something so human about it while also being big picture in a very gentle way. I found that to be very grounding and forgiving.”
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