One of Hollywood\u2019s most enticing mysteries? Lorde<\/a>\u2019s age, apparently. <\/p>\n The New Zealand songstress was born on Nov. 7, 1996, which makes her 28 as of publication. However, many fans have had trouble accepting that she\u2019s a late \u201890s baby, claiming she looks and carries herself as someone much older.<\/p>\n On an Oct. 23 episode of the pop culture podcast \u201cAllegedly Speaking,\u201d hosts Jana Rosenberg and Liv Pearsall revisited a viral theory from 2014 that claimed the \u201cWhat Was That\u201d singer was actually born in the \u201880s.<\/p>\n In a clip<\/a> of the episode shared on Instagram, Rosenberg explained how when Lorde released her smashing hit \u201cRoyals\u201d in 2013 \u2014 which she won two Grammys the following year \u2014 she was only 16 years old.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople were a little sussed out because the song is so insane. The Grammy board couldn\u2019t believe a 16-year-old wrote [\u2019Royals\u2019],\u201d Rosenberg said, adding that \u201cshe looked a little bit older than 16,\u201d too.<\/p>\n In 2014, rumors were indeed in overdrive that Lorde \u2014 who was born Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O\u2019Connor \u2014 was older than she led fans to believe.<\/p>\n Lorde even seemingly teased the speculation when she spoke with Vanity Fair<\/a> that year. “I\u2019m actually 45,\u201d she told the outlet.<\/p>\n According to The Atlantic<\/a> and E! News<\/a>, the now-defunct women\u2019s website, The Hairpin, tried to dispel the hearsay later in 2014 by purchasing a copy of Lorde\u2019s birth certificate. Per the outlet, Lorde\u2019s birth date was confirmed as Nov. 7, 1996.<\/p>\n Still, that wasn\u2019t enough to shut down talk that the \u201cGreen Light\u201d singer had done some bad math on her age.<\/p>\n Another document<\/a> \u2014 alleged to be Lorde\u2019s birth certificate \u2014 began circulating online in 2014, claiming Lorde was born in 1980. That would make her 45 years old today, if true. However, the certificate had a glaring error: It came from the U.S.S.R., not New Zealand, where Lorde was born.<\/p>\n So, what\u2019s the truth? Lorde was born in 1996. However, even in 2025, some folks are having trouble accepting that. “She\u2019s def 45 today!” wrote one person in the podcast clip\u2019s Instagram comments.<\/p>\n Another user, who claimed to have grown up with her, said just the opposite. “This is soooo funny – from a New Zealander who lived around the corner from her she was 16!! Our country is so small that if someone is doing something amazing, you know about it. She looked like the typical 16-year-old Kiwi,” they wrote.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n![\"ALT](\"https:\/\/www.syracuse.com\/resizer\/v2\/OMGPEN3LLFHU7LKJBRV4FWV36Q.jpg?auth=ceb06631647d7f8fad135fd19402f1945ddf8f26a6357b31329d270aa98dd05e&width=1280&smart=true&quality=90\"\/)
<\/picture>