When Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour began, People Magazine had a story about how Taylor and Joe Alwyn were fine, that after six years together, they didn’t need to live in each other’s pockets and he would visit her on tour when he could. It honestly didn’t seem suspicious to me at the time – I assumed they were fine, mostly because we rarely hear anything dramatic about them in the mainstream gossip press. But now… now I think the People story was mega-sus. It was a gossip stop-gap, right? It was Taylor telling her fans: don’t worry, don’t start rumor-mongering if you don’t see Joe around these days. Yeah. Joe opted out, or Taylor opted out, and here we are. JoeTay is OVER.
Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn have called it quits. ET has exclusively learned that the “Lavender Haze” singer and the British actor broke up a few weeks ago.
ET has also learned that the split was amicable and “it was not dramatic.” ET’s told “the relationship had just run its course. It’s why [Alwyn] hasn’t been spotted at any shows.” Swift, 33, is currently on her The Eras tour, which heads to Tampa, Florida next week.
It wasn’t so long ago when Swift and Alwyn were said to have been in a great place in their relationship. They started dating in late 2016, and a source told ET back in October that they were “doing great” and that their “relationship is super strong.” That update came just hours after Swift dropped her highly anticipated 10th studio album, Midnights, followed by seven additional songs released in her surprise 3am Edition of the album.
People Magazine also had a confirmation that they broke up – a “source close to the pair” confirmed the news, and they also point out that Joe hasn’t been to any of her Eras concerts (a fact which I find insignificant but I guess there’s a reason why Joe’s absence has been cited by multiple outlets). I know some Snake Fam members believe that this hasn’t been for-real confirmed, but… this is the confirmation. If People AND Entertainment Tonight had gotten it wrong, Taylor’s publicist would have crawled all over those outlets and gotten them to take down or correct the reports. Instead, it’s more than likely that the breakup happened weeks ago and Taylor’s team held the news and purposefully leaked the story the day before Easter because most people had taken off and weren’t paying attention to the news.
As for the split… well, I was genuinely surprised. I hadn’t gotten a vibe from JoeTay, and I really thought they were solid. Some of you might believe that Taylor wanted to get married and Joe didn’t, or that the “Lavender Haze” lyrics signal something or other. I really don’t know. If Taylor did want to marry him and he wasn’t into it, then so be it and I’m glad she’s moving on. This was her longest, most serious relationship – it began in the Obama administration for goodness sake – and she kept a lot of her life with Joe private. I do think that’s probably over – her next album will explain exactly what happened, I’m sure.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.
-
- Joe Alwyn attending the BAFTA British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Albert Hall, London, UK 03/02/20. Photo by Cat Morley.,Image: 563259824, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Brian Jordan / Avalon
-
- Joe Alwyn arrives at the Tom Ford: Autumn/Winter 2020 Fashion Show held at Milk Studios on February 7, 2020 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 563354587, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Xavier Collin / Avalon
-
- New York, NY – Taylor Swift is seen hand-in-hand with boyfriend Joe Alwyn on a very cold day as they go for a long walk after having lunch at a West Village restaurant. The couple had an entourage of friends and four bodyguards in tow. The pair were keeping a very low profile trying not to be noticed as they walked from the West Village to Washington Square Park and parts of the Soho area. Pictured: Taylor Swift, Joe Alwyn BACKGRID USA 30 DECEMBER 2018 BYLINE MUST READ: BrosNYC / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- New York, NY – Taylor Swift makes a rare appearance with boyfriend Joe Alwyn as they step out together after the holidays. Taylor and Joe are seen sticking close and holding hands as they make their way to their ride after dinner ahead of the New Year. Pictured: Taylor Swift, Joe Alwyn BACKGRID USA 30 DECEMBER 2018 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- New York, NY – Taylor Swift makes a rare appearance with boyfriend Joe Alwyn as they step out together after the holidays. Taylor and Joe are seen sticking close and holding hands as they make their way to their ride after dinner ahead of the New Year. Pictured: Taylor Swift, Joe Alwyn BACKGRID USA 30 DECEMBER 2018 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- ** RIGHTS: ONLY UNITED STATES, BRAZIL, CANADA ** London, UNITED KINGDOM – Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn seen holding hands leaving Annabel’s Private Members Club in London following Joe’s success at the Bafta Awards ( British Academy Film Awards ) in London. Pictured: Taylor Swift, Joe Alwyn BACKGRID USA 10 FEBRUARY 2019 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- ** RIGHTS: ONLY UNITED STATES, BRAZIL, CANADA ** London, UNITED KINGDOM – Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn holding hands leaving the BAFTA party at Annabel’s in London Pictured: Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn BACKGRID USA 10 FEBRUARY 2019 BYLINE MUST READ: Old Boy’s Club / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- ** RIGHTS: ONLY UNITED STATES, BRAZIL, CANADA ** London, UNITED KINGDOM – Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn holding hands leaving the BAFTA party at Annabel’s in London Pictured: Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn BACKGRID USA 10 FEBRUARY 2019 BYLINE MUST READ: Old Boy’s Club / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- Dusseldorf, GERMANY – Celebrities attend the 2022 MTV EMAs at the PSD Bank Dome in Dusseldorf, Germany. Pictured: Taylor Swift BACKGRID USA 13 NOVEMBER 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- The 2022 MTV VMAs-Arrivals Featuring: Taylor Swift Where: Newark, New Jersey, United States When: 28 Aug 2022 Credit: JOHN NACION/startraksphoto.com/Cover Images
-
- MTV Video Music Awards 2022 held at the Prudential Center. Featuring: Taylor Swift Where: Newark, New Jersey, United States When: 29 Aug 2022 Credit: Doug Peters/EMPICS/PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
-
- 2022 MTV Video Music Awards held at the Prudential Center. Featuring: Taylor Swift Where: Newark, New Jersey, United States When: 28 Aug 2022 Credit: BauerGriffin/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images
I found it odd in the last years that they never got engaged. Not that it’s systematic for couples but it seems like something Taylor would want – get married.
I actually thought the opposite, that she doesn’t want to marry. She seems to have become very independent as she’s evolved.
@ Southern Fried: Same. I thought that they were a committed couple that perhaps didn’t feel like they needed to marry.
I honestly think she was the one that wanted marriage, assuming that that was the reason why they broke up.
Lover had sooo much wedding/marriage imagery. To the point where it would be weird by normal girlfriend standards if they never talked about it. Folklore (in the track Peace, which sounds strongly autobiographical bc of the blatant Kanye shade), she said she would give him a child. Only for her to then say she doesn’t want that “1950s shit” in Midnights? It seemed as if she tried to be cool about these things but finally realised they’re at the end of the road.
I feel for her either way. She’s 33, just started a huge gruelling tour and no matter what she wants in life, she’s facing pressures all over. Hope her tours shower her with lots of love.
Actually there was some murmur in the tabloids last summer that she wanted him to propose and that she felt her clock was ticking, but he felt he still didn’t want to be tied down yet.
I’m surprised and sad for Taylor. Everybody’s rooting for her to find her real romeo and get married because we all know she would want that.
On the other side, her career will be better because of the breakup. It’ll give her another great album and different stories to tell.
I know what you mean but I really hope she doesn’t find a Romeo bc that guy was a dumb teenager who dumped a girl bc he met another girl and then killed himself.
After six years and being in her 30s I think and hope she takes some time exploring who she’s become and who she is without a partner.
I’m sad it didn’t work out between them, this news came as a surprise to me. Even with the hints throughout certain recent songs, I figured they were still about past guys. I wish them both the best.
I felt sad at the news, too. Breakups suck. Sometimes they are SO for the best. I hope this is the case here. I know Taylor gets a lot of slag, but I like her and I hope she’s happy regardless of her relationship status.
Yep. They had purchased a house in Hampstead Heath together, but the architect was told to stand down a while ago..now we know why.
Something Taylor wanted, you say? If I were an international superstar worth hundreds of millions of dollars dating a c-list actor with limited wealth, I’d have reservations. The assumption that Joe was the one that didn’t want marriage is, respectfully, absurd.
Yes!!!! People – marriage is a financial arrangement. Of course joe album wants to marry Taylor!!!!! Why would Taylor want to marry him!?!
One of her songs on midnight seems to be about losing a baby she wanted…a lot of relationships don’t survive loss and/or fertility issues too if it was her story and not a friends
I think she’ll marry when it feels right for her if it feels right for her
I was 35 and v successful. I was not sure marriage was right for me. No-one else believed I would/could accommodate another person into my space.
But when it was right it was right and I am happy many yrs later, married and with children
She is a global superstar her life and actions are magnified out of all proportion
I wish her well. I love a petty successful bitch
Of course we’ll hear about it on her next album. No shade, writing her own stories have always been her strength.
I don’t usually follow Taylor, but I was in need of a distraction this weekend, so I went on a deep dive. Here’s what I have gathered.
Stans think Taylor, Joe and their relationship were all perfect. Meanwhile, non stans keep saying she seemed to care much more than him all along. She herself revealed she kinda stalked him at the start, and it sounds like she wore him out and that’s how they got together?
Songs on the Lover album (2019) very explicit about wanting to marry him. Then, a big U-turn on the latest album Midnights (Oct 2022), marriage is now “50s housewife sh-t”: people speculating she’s fronting because she still hasn’t gotten a proposal. People saying Midnights sounds like a break-up album. And in between, so many songs about feeling lonely, sad, anxious, insecure, underappreciated. “And you tolerate it”, etc. Sounds like the relationship was not so good?
And finally, her whole speech about loving to tell men how to apologize on the opening night of her tour: a pointed jab at Joe if they had been broken up for ages at that point, or the final straw that broke one or both of them right then?
Also, DeuxMoi got a submission saying they had broken up, but didn’t publish it since she was so invested in her “they’re married” narrative, so ET was the pub picking up the news first. Now, DeuxMoi’s posted that Taylor’s with someone new. So… was that also fed to her by the publicist? Are we seeing Taylor roll out a new boyfriend in the next few weeks??
Sorry, I just like piecing clues together, so this was kind of a gold mine! Now I almost feel like reading all her lyrics looking for more clues.
Can’t wait for the next album!
Thank you for the deep dive, I didn’t have the time or the strength to do the same.
I agree she was hinting things are not well. He was sunshine, I was midnight rain, etc. And I don’t think she wanted marriage, but I do think she felt her love was tolerated, not celebrated.
And they seemed so well suited that it felt like something was missing.
Oh, well. She seems fine. Her tour looks exceptional!
Thank you for having the energy to do this! I think she’s very single-minded about touring so I’d be shocked if she was dating at all during it.
Whoever ended it, she’s just been burned by an actor and has had at least a six-year break from musicians. My money is on another musician next.
Keep us updated on your research in Taylor posts lol!
DeuxMoi has been claiming for a year that they are married. Now she’s claiming the ceremony (actually she spelled it “ceramony”) just wasn’t legal. She’s just posting whatever is sent in by random people.
Also Tolerate It was released in 2020 along with a bunch of songs that clearly weren’t autobiographical.
I agree that she was all in on marriage at one point. She was singing “I’d marry you with paper rings” and then an engagement never happened. She either grew out of that or he never proposed and then she changed her tune. Not sure which, but it’s possible she just realized she’s worth a lot of money and legally marrying someone isn’t beneficial for her.
> Tolerate It was released in 2020 along with a bunch of songs that clearly weren’t autobiographical.
I read so many contradicting takes on that this weekend… They’re all saying “the past 5 albums are about Joe”, but also “Taylor said Folklore and Evermore were fiction” and “Midnights is about 13 sleepless nights throughout her life, not about Joe”. But then, they all say they think Taylor just lied about all that to protect their privacy, and the songs are actually about her life and their relationship!
It’s been a trip observing the TSwift sub on Reddit. It seems they all had that image that things were perfect for 6 years, and that they’re all die-hard romantics over there, so it’s gonna take a minute to recalibrate…
I’m not knowledgeable in the specifics of Taylor’s world at all beyond what I read here, but I think that if you are in your 30’s and have been dating for more than two years and want to get married (which I think she does, which is absolutely fine and not “1950’s sh!t” just as it is equally fine for people to not want to get married) then it means that you’re not in the right relationship. This isn’t a case of young 20’s people needing time to figure things out; you are who you are by 30, and if you’re unsure if the person you’re with is “forever” after a year or two, they’re not.
My uneducated guess is that she wanted marriage, he didn’t, she tried to tell herself that she was okay with a partnership without the marriage piece, and then admitted to herself that she’s not. Nobody is to blame, they just wanted different things. I hope she continues her massively successful tour and finds personal fulfillment, whatever that looks like/means to her.
@Ama1977
They say love lasts 3 years. At 2 years you’re usually still in the honeymoon phase imo. I think regardless of age people should date for at least 3 before getting married, but that’s just me. I was with my husband 7 years before we got married.
The songs she made in 2020 aren’t autobiographical so much as they aren’t reflecting her usual writing style about her life line by line. But make no mistake, they are still her life. She was just managed to hide it better by slicing and splicing (a technique auteurs in films usually do) and I suspect from whom did she learn it (the man in No Body No Crime).
Tolerate it in Evermore is about Calvin Harris, in response to Over it (in the voice of The Weeknd), which is a response to the triangle songs in Folklore.
No Body No Crime is about a very powerful man in Hollywood (this assertion I am very certain about) that possibly linked to Kenya’s phone call (this assertion I am less certain about).
That song Mastermind was her confessional about her and Joe right? She should just enjoy her tour and move along with her life. It WILL however break the internet if she and Harry Styles get back together.
I went on a deep dive of their relationship and her songs during the pandemic, specifically late 2020 to early 2021. You were right. She stalked him. And their timeline was much earlier. If I am not mistaken, they met at least as early as Feb 2016, not late April 2016 as most of her fans speculated. There are tabloids archives (on this site no less) as well as her reputation lyrics and mv iconography suggesting this.
I can’t imagine a six-year breakup being “not dramatic” unless they’ve been on the outs for quite a while.
I will bet more than anything he’s married within two years.
I broke up with my boyfriend of nine years recently, and it wasn’t dramatic at all. We hugged and called it a day.
I think it’s common for people who have grown into being roommates
wow. i was shocked when i heard this news. so much of what little coverage of their relationship was positive and she seemed to say how healthy it was. ooof, i feel for her. 6 years is a long time. a particular long time when you’ve written multiple love songs with this person or about this person and now have to sing these songs to stadiums full of people after your breakup for months.
Yeah, but at the same time – if she’s heartbroken, she could use all the love and in the stadiums she can really feel the love, so! Keeping busy and getting praise and love only she can get because swifties are built that way. She’ll be ok
i think she’ll be ok too in the end. i really hope the support from her fans from her tours helps her like you say. but heartbreak is tricky and singing love songs about an ex is very hard, so if she needs time I hope she takes it too. i remember watching katy perry’s documentary and seeing her break down sobbing before a show bc of what was going on in her personal life…not say that’s taylor at all, but “the show must go on” mentality is so hard for entertainers and I feel for them.
Even if it was amicable, a relationship slowly fracturing is just as painful as a relationship exploding, they’re just different pains. Given her experiences with press opinions on her romantic life, I can easily imagine trying extra hard to make it work just to avoid dealing with everyone having an opinion about the break up. I do think it sounds like it’s all done and dusted, I suspect it was over before the tour and she didn’t want The Narrative overshadowing the tour kickoff.
Best of luck to her on the rest of her tour, and best of luck to Joe heading back to his yogurt shop.
> Heading back to his yogurt shop.
lmaf😂. What a brilliant metaphor you managed to sneak in, linking the titbit gossip of his 2 years ago and his original life and circumstances.
This is all speculation, but there have been some signs in the last year that Joe was far more insecure and ambitious about his career than I had thought and was not actually content to be the Blake Lively in their relationship. He hired a manager last year thinking I guess that Conversations With Friends was going to be his big momement and then it didn’t happen. And he seems to have for the second time in less than two years taken an unexpected acting job out of the country as a replacement when Taylor was in the middle of a major career moment and was likely expecting his support.
Oh, good point, I think you’re onto something. It seemed to me he thought his career would go the way Paul Mescal’s did after Normal people and that didn’t work out.
I didnt know Conversations with friends came out! It must not have been heavily marketed or on a platform I dont have. I must find and watch it.
@Andrea yeah I think it came out earlier this year or late last year? It wasn’t well received though.
It didn’t get good reviews and he was often singled out in the reviews as being particularly uninteresting. He was also in Stars at Noon and likewise received a lot of “meh” notices.
I think that was probably a huge issue. I think he very much wants to be known as an actor in his own right but he’s Taylor’s boyfriend, and now he’ll always be her ex.
IMO I think Taylor has gotten so famous she’ll have to date someone not in the public eye to get it to work. No man is going to be equal to her level of fame, and I can’t see any man who’s trying to be famous handling being second fiddle and they always will be.
Definitely agree that he was never totally comfortable being Mr. Swift and wanted to find success of his own. If they were so private it’s probably because he didn’t want to be seen as her +1.
It really then tracks. I was really puzzled when I read an article in Daily Mail that a close associate of her nemesis was invited to one of her recent parties. I asked myself why they went. It’s now clear they went for negotiation. And the outcome is likely that TS chose to remain loyal to the power that had been propping her and Joe decided he wanted out.
Well she has her subject for her next album. 🤷🏽♀️
Breaking off a 6 year relationship in their mid 30s and citing “it ran its course” sounds to me like they wanted different things in life. I would not be surprised if Joe wanted children and Taylor did not. In her documentary she said at 30 that she is not ready. She is also at the top of her career. As a woman in my 30s who is very focused on my career and personal goals, I can relate and am probably projecting because I also do not want children.
it seems as she’s gotten older, her interest in marriage and children has waned. people are speculating that’s why she started crying during champagne problems when singing about “sometimes you just don’t know the answer til someone’s on their knees and asks you” – that he proposed to her and she said no.
Yah this checks out for me. She has everything going for her right now and it would be hard to put that on hold unless it was something you really wanted in your life. I hope she finds someone content with their life and career, who shares her vision.
Yeah I think she didn’t want to get married. I think she realized that from a business perspective (she has so much money) marriage is a stupid idea. Even with a prenup that is a lot of assets to put at risk.
I also think she grew out of it, and based on Bigger Than the Whole Sky, I think she had a miscarriage. So you look at two very different levels of fame (he will never be her), changes in the next step and a possible miscarriage that is a lot for a relationship.
I think it’s entirely possible that Taylor didn’t want a baby before her huge Eras tour, but everyone believes “Bigger than the Whole Sky” is about a miscarriage. I, for one, don’t think that one’s fiction…it just hits so close to home and seems so specific to her. So at one point, it did seem like she very much wanted that child…she’s always given me maternal vibes.
Maybe the possible miscarriage was why she and Joe couldn’t move on? But it did seem like she was all about marriage in Lover. There were some reports at the time too hinting that Taylor is definitely ready for Joe to propose. When you’re putting your heart on your sleeves (and out in the public realm) like that and nothing happens? That’s gotta hurt. Also, in many albums, she pretty much talks about it being the end of the world if it’s over for them; even in Midnights, her insecurities and fears that he will leave her (Anti-Hero) are right there. I also don’t think Midnights was a breakup album at all—Lavender Haze, Mastermind etc are all about how much she wanted Joe.
All in all, I felt sad when this news came out and I’m not a Swiftie. Finding yourself single at 33 is not the same as it was at 26. I know she’ll be fine but she’s probably hurting more than these reports let on.
I actually think a lot of the stuff in midnights is about fame and her fans as much as partner. I think mastermind could be about joe but also speaks to how she built her career and relationship with her fans.
Same with anti-hero I think a lot of that is this realization she isn’t sure what she’d do if she lost the fans and her music.
This makes me sad that she may be mourning a miscarriage. That song is just heartbreaking.
33 is not old! Stories like this go to show that we’re really all just speculating and nobody really knows what’s going on with people’s relationships.
@Bee, of course we’re all speculating! Unless you’re her family or personal friend, you‘ll never be in the know. Taylor knows a lot of people are invested in her relationships via her art and leaves Easter eggs all the time; she has no trouble with her fans speculating what went wrong.
As for 33 being young, of course it’s young…in retrospect. I’m 38 now and married when I was 32. I didn’t think I was young at the time—was the first out of my college core group to marry but last out of the high school group. It’s normal to feel old even when you ARE young, because that’s the oldest you’ve ever been. Plus, there’s still the pressure of societal milestones and I don’t think celebrities are immune to that—if everyone in your age group is engaged, married, or has kids (Gigi, Blake, Emma Stone, Jack Antonoff, etc), it’s normal to wonder why it’s not happening for you, especially if it’s something you do want.
I just watched her documentary cause I was trying to figure out the intrigue and cultish popularity of Taylor (I’m too old I guess!), but after watching it, I am now a huge fan of who she is. I also understand more about her mission of making songs and music about her life and am so heartened by her decision to speak up politically in the last election despite being told by her family and managers that she would lose half her audience. I strongly recommend the doc if anyone hasn’t yet seen it.
This breakup was a shocker. And supposedly she is dating someone new who is more low key? As the Swifties were saying, who is more low key than Joe Alwyn?
Take or leave it tidbit: my daughter is a Swiftie who was at the John Mayer concert two Fridays ago. Her first comment was that it was so weird that he played his old Taylor Swift song Half of My Heart that night. This was the same night Taylor took her Invisible String song, which is about Joe, out of her tour lineup. Supposedly John has played HOMH four times already on this current tour, where last tour he only played it once. John and Taylor have a rocky history, but could they have kissed and made up? Or is John just playing into the mess?
given that her new song Would’ve could’ve Should’ve is about John, I don’t think she’d get back with him. she hasn’t had a good thing to say about him since their breakup.
Those of you who are doing the deep dive on her lyric clues – this is fascinating to me. Carry on! This is why I never ‘ship’ celebrities – nobody knows what is really going on in a personal relationship between friends or relatives much less strangers even if those strangers put their life out there in music like TS. I think people see what they want to see like deux moi who actually had this information before anyone (last Tuesday?) but thought it was fake.
Doubt it. Already being with someone else wouldn’t gel with the Good Girl image, and the public doesn’t typically hesitate to put male pride before female mental health. Then again, even if it’s true, concern about the wellbeing of an industry Good Girl in the 2020’s may be a better misogyny deterrent for some now than concern for the wellbeing of industry Bad Girls were in the 10’s and 00’s. Maybe.
And the Hiddlesbaby photos came out last week. That was the theory in my Twitter DMs as we watched the Swifties melt down this weekend. And the gay guys being angry on her behalf and also, “Joe’s single?”
She’s someone who I like a lot of her music, but it seems exhausting to be a fan.
“And supposedly she is dating someone new who is more low key? As the Swifties were saying, who is more low key than Joe Alwyn?”
Please no. I don’t want to see who could out boring Joe Alwyn.
Getaway Car is one of my favorite Taylor breakup songs; can she outdo that one with Joe? IDK. Anyway, this relationship did her reputation good–six years of privacy and the sidelining of her serial dater image. Take that, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.
@Harper What’s disheartening is the comments on social media posts about the breakup. It’s like everyone thinks she’s still a serial dater, like this was a blip on the timeline and she can’t keep a man/there is something wrong with her. It sucks.
As others have said, Taylor has given some coded messages about marriage on her albums. Lover was so happy and about marriage. Midnights felt like she’d changed her tune in regards to commitment.
I don’t know if she changed because she wanted to stay with Joe who didn’t want those things. Or if she realized she didn’t want them with him or not yet.
My coworker who is gay (a woman) is convinced this whole relationship was a sham for both and that Taylor’s true love is/was Karlie Kloss. I can’t wait to hear her reaction when I go into the office in a few days lol. I don’t really have an opinion but I do lean towards the side that while Karlie and Taylor may not have been dating, they were way closer than just regular BFFs and it was a very intense relationship. I kind of view Taylor kind of like Kim K oddly, I don’t find either of them very sexual. They’ve always given off asexual vibes, despite Taylor calling her exes out in all her songs.
I follow a queer woman on Instagram (she does travel photography) that has become a swiftie in the past year and she’s convinced Taylor’s bi. It’s been…. Interesting to see the clues that she picks up on a a queer woman from different lyrics and visuals. I think it’s more than possible she’s bi.
I am here for this storyline 😹. But I have to disagree on the last point. Taylor writes about sex often. My impression from her music is that her relationship with Joe was just as strong physically as it was emotionally.
There’s a part of the fandom that is really into this-but a vast majority of it have been the weirdest reaches ever. But there’s certain things Taylor did that makes you wonder. I think this relationship is real tho
Ehh, I actually do think she had a relationship with karlie. I think Maroon is about her.
But I also think she loved Joe and I don’t think it was a sham.
Maroon, is about Jake- it is talking about the Red album. I don’t get why people want this so badly but she has mentioned what happened with Karlie in songs and seems it was a friendship that wasn’t so solid. Or good.
I don’t want any specific relationship to have happened. I can see it being a take on Red and what happened with Jake, but I just can’t figure out the lyric “the lips I used to call home, so scarlet it was maroon.” And the line about everyone thinking they were just friends… I don’t think she was ever just friends with Jake.
I hadn’t thought that about Maroon, I think Question? is about Karlie though? She speaks about being kissed in a crowded room and everyone laughing at you, then applauding. Didn’t people get the two of them kissing on video at a concert? The song also mentions politics and gender roles.
A lot has happened in six years. The pandemic. Roe overturned. Gun violence more ubiquitous than ever. Every legislative session in practically every state that isn’t “blue” is a coordinated effort to strip away the rights of everyone who isn’t cis, straight, and white. I had my daughter several years ago but will not have another child and I can completely understand not wanting to bring children into this mess or changing your mind and wanting something vastly different in life than you might have six years ago.
Midnights might be the first album of Taylor’s I’ve listened to (I thought it was pretty good, actually) and I thought a lot of the songs sounded like break-up songs. Knowing that she gets fairly autobiographical in her songwriting, it made me wonder. Maroon in particular sounded like she was talking about a long time relationship that went cold.
Not gonna lie, this shocked me and made me sad.
I hope she was the instigator of the break, and that this is what she wants. I’ve always liked her!
Honestly, the most shocking part of this for me is realizing they were together six years. Time no longer has meaning for me after COVID.
I so agree! Was Covid yesterday? Or 10 years ago. My sense of time is so warped.
I felt oddly sad to read about this over the weekend, even though I don’t follow Taylor or her music. I know a lot of the songs because they’re ubiquitous, but I don’t look for them or pay for them. That’s a long time to be together at that age. Hope they’re both OK (“but not fine at all….?”)
I do not buy this as a planned, mutual breakup—something happened here to force Taylor’s team’s hand on the announcement. If this had occurred a few weeks ago or longer, it would have made sense to announce it before the tour kicked off to let interest fizzle out a bit first and let the Swifties know what Taylor was going through. If it had happened more recently but had been a more sedate, low-drama, long-time-coming breakup, they would have held the news until after tour and gotten Joe to play along by attending a show or two and just staying together in name for longer. The vibe I get here is that Joe broke it off more suddenly and was not willing to pretend otherwise. I think more details will emerge…
I agree, I think this is her (or maybe his) team getting ahead of something. It’s an odd time to announce the breakup. With her on tour, she could have kept it a secret for a while since she isn’t expected to be at their home in the UK. I feel for her, she’s away on tour for a long time and he’s in their house which has to be divided and packed up and stuff. How strange it would be. I hope she has some people she really trusts to handle some of that stuff while she’s working.
Well, the next album should be interesting…
I’m honestly not surprised- sad- but not surprised. Going back to Lover her songs had a pre-nostalgic quality, like she knew the relationship was not as solid as it could be and was already fearful of it breaking down (see Cornelia Street, Thousand Cuts). Never mind all the “imagined”, but raw, heart-wrenching stories in Folklore and Evermore about heartbreak… again, it just makes you wonder. And as many said above, Midnights feels like a breakup album to me. Bejeweled anyone? I genuinely think Taylor is such a talented, hardworking artist. Wishing her the best and that she finds real love.
well, death by a thousand cuts was written about the movie Someone Great – it’s not autobiographical. and she said pretty clearly that Midnights was about a variety of nights that kept her up over the years. she specifically said that it was inspired by revisiting old songs while doing her re-records.
since folklore, she’s played around a lot with her songwriting, so not every song is about Joe.
I think hoax is an interesting song to look at though. seems like it’s about Joe, and it’s pretty bleak.
Death by A Thousand Cut is still autobiographical. The movie she talked about that was her inspiration was the one that reminded her of the time she and Joe were put on ice in their budding relationship in first half of 2016. She talked about it when she was promoting Lover. It was also the first song she tried to mask the ins and outs of her personal life.
Any guesses on who the new bf will be when it is announced??????
I am in the train that she is at minimum
Bi..but I think they will announce a new boyfriend very very soon
Maybe it’s Timothee Chalamet and the Kylie rumour was to throw people off the scent LOL
I wouldn’t have said that I was “invested” in Taylor’s love life, but this news did make me sad.
Six years is a long time, and I had thought maybe she found the right one.
She’s young, rich, talented and beautiful so she will be ok, but it is still sad on a superficial level to see them split.
I was surprised that I was sad about it haha. I’m a Swiftie, but it did seem like they were solid and happy. six years is a long time!
it also feels a little… I dunno. she’s embarking on this huge career spanning tour and they break up? don’t love that for her.
This news made me a little sad! I wish her well. She’s at the top of her career right now, the show I saw last weekend was incredible, and I hope she continues to soar. The timing of this news breaking is interesting. I hope she was able to have some control over when and how it broke.
Joe Alwyn got song writing credits on her album, yeah? So he’ll be fine.
This news took me by surprise though, NGL.
He got a grammy out of it, too and a lifelong stream of income!
This news shocked me. I have to say I feel bad for Joe with the intense hate he gets. He’s private – why does this make him boring? We know almost nothing about him other than her music and she seemed completely smitten so he must have some redeeming qualities. I also don’t understand the hate for his performance in CwF. I thought it was fantastic honestly, very subtle and convincing.
I read the book first and saw someone like Henry Cavill in the role—a ridiculous good-looking but shallow-seeming person who ends up being a lot deeper than everyone gives him credit for. The type that you feel dumb about drooling over because he’s too obvious. Joe’s acting was fine, but he really just looked like a regular Joe. I loved Jemima, who was an inspiring choice and “Frances” was pretty much on point. She and Joe did not have the chemistry to sell the story. “Bobby” was a bit too reserved and smug; she needed to be more magnetic and effervescent. If I hadn’t first read the book, maybe I would like it more.
I’m shocked people are shocked. That article (ie story written by her publicist and given to a friendly outlet) a few weeks ago all about how Taylor and Joe were still going strong despite him not being at her concerts practically screamed “nothing to see here, move along”. I figured the break up had already happened, but they were trying to buy time so it didn’t overshadow the launch of her big world tour.
It has to be difficult to be involved with a celeb at the height of their fame/career.
The entire SM and celeb PR is a gazillion times bigger than it has ever been.
Look how the short time Tom Hiddleston and Taylor were together, it still follows him in most every story online.
JA will have this follow him online for years, decades.
Almost every story about TS repeats her entire personal history, even from years back, even when the dating was under 6 months total.
6 years together, in a fishbowl.
Knowing her, she will be writing and producing a SONG about him (just like she did regarding her past lovers/paramours); many of her fans will be waiting for her next/new CD to drop. (Personally, I’m very glad that the Tiddlebanging ended after a very short time period. Tom is with Zawe, and they have a beautiful child together. 👏🏻👏🏽👏 Blessings to them!)
And oh, this: Thank you so very much KATIE Z for posting this thread! 👍🏼
Hmm…I honestly think she DID want to marry him at one point and eventually realized that he wasn’t interested in settling down (at least not with her). To go from singing multiple songs about wanting to settle down with him to that Lavender Haze with “the 1950s shit they want from me” line seems more like coping than genuinely changing her mind. Also, I’m not a Swiftie (putting it mildly), but from what I’ve seen over the years, she seemed to be more into him than he was into her. Yeah, he’s a lowkey guy but I still got those vibes from them. I also saw some Swifties on another site discussing how he apparently didn’t show up to quite a few of her big moments over the past few years, which is interesting.
At 42, I havent had a relationship end in marriage. I had 2, 3 year LTR and one 16 year, but alas, nothing that felt like marriage material in the end why I called it off with all of them. After 6 years though, I was genuinely surprised they werent going to get married. Taylor’s early 20s were like mine, many brief relationships (many 3-7 months). I wonder who this new rumored perosn is and why it “ran its course”. Maybe it felt like roommates like my 16 year one LTR did?
I’m sad by this because Taylor seemed so happy and in love with him. I don’t know how long her tour is, but if he took acting jobs while she’s out on the road, then perhaps they figured it wasn’t possible to stay together long distance. I also suspect she accepted that he didn’t want to marry her and decided to move on.
I have a feeling she did the dumping.
Many of my favorite Taylor songs were (clearly) written about Joe, so this makes me genuinely sad.
He seemed like a good, grounding influence on Taylor’s life.
I wish both of them the best.
I’m not really a Taylor fan and don’t follow her that much. But the vibes I get are that she’s a bit of an insecure mean girl hell bent of seeking revenge on anyone who wrongs her, whilst simultaneously playing the innocent victim.
She runs a tight ship and absolutely has main character syndrome. I can imagine being with her for long periods of time to be quite exhausting.
I seriously thought they got engaged, married, and had a baby in secret until this. He always seemed kind of boring to me though.
I think it’s hard for women to find men who will marry them nowadays. If Taylor Swift can’t find a husband, I mean… and when you look at all her past ones John Mayer, Jake G, none of them are married. I think men just don’t see any advantages in marriage these days. Sad cos I think Taylor would probably love a fairy tale wedding, but idk a lot about her so maybe not.
@Trish, Taylor L. is married. Joe Jonas is married and has two kids. Calvin Harris is engaged. Tom Hiddleston is engaged and has a baby.
I can also see that Taylor wanted to get married . She sees her famous peers like JLaw and Emma Stone are now Both married with kids , and within the 2 year rule of dating. And both Jennifer and Emma had their relationships after Taylor and Joe. Not to mention , yes, a couple of her exes are either now married or engaged. She comes from a family whose parents are both still together so to me I think she believes in marriage and I think one day she sees herself as a mom. If Joe hasn’t proposed after 6 years , I can understand why they both see their relationship has run out of its course. (Or who knows if he proposed and she’s not sure about him. But for some reason I think it’s the other way).
Aren’t her parent divorced?
Yes, since 2011.
If I was Joe I too would have wanted to be out of the relationships after my girlfriend made a whole ass music video about how she crashes imaginary wedding of her ex boyfriend she dated more than 10 years ago, tbh.
@Mash My bad – you’re right her parents are divorced. I was thinking they weren’t .
At the end of the day I always wondered if they were totally compatible. Taylor, seemingly, is a super demonstrative person. She loves talking about her and her people. I would think she would enjoy someone to come to her shows and show up with her at events to support and not hideaway for them. She needs something between Hiddleston and Alwyn, and probally someone that is not famous and doesnt have the baggage of another famous career.
I, like others on this thread, am not a fan or swiftie nor seek out her music (love techno). But I was also so saddened for her when I heard the news. Maybe because I also have a (lol) decent career I worked hard at, I am in my mid-thirties and I also want the loving, supporting partner. The lack of a partner makes me feel like something is wrong with me and like I am “expiring” more and more every day. I thought I had a strong sense of self/character but these last few years tested my resolve. I cannot even imagine what she is going through.. the sad regurgitated rumors (serial dater trope), the misogynist message about our worth (can’t keep a man, what’s wrong with us), societal pressure to partner up (30s), ADDED to what I am sure is a deep, deep heartbreak… ooff. I feel for her hard. I send her lots of love. I know she will be fine, but money and fame don’t insulate from pain. Didn’t Gaga say in a documentary that each time she had a successful album or project or tour or something, she lost a lover?? She sounded so matter of fact and heart broken at the same time.. I thought (HA) it was tough to date with my career and I can’t even imagine dating as a super star.
My hypothesis, for what it’s worth: they were in love; the reputation album was the first album with some songs about their relationship…. Taylor’s work took a lot of her time and attention. Then the pandemic hit and the world essentially shut down. They got quality time, made music together, fell hard for each other; i bet it felt magical for them. Then the world reopens and Taylor gets back to what she does, making music and being a star. She’s married to her career. And I dig that about her.