Taylor Swift is 100% in control of the breakup narrative. That’s my sense of things – the news of her split from Joe Alwyn came out just before Easter Sunday, a typically quiet weekend for gossip. Her reps didn’t deny anything, and the news was leaked gently to established outlets like Entertainment Tonight and People. The story came out when she wasn’t about to perform a concert for her Eras Tour. Add to all of that, Taylor stepped out in New York last night and gave the paparazzi some exclusive photos where she looked great. The message: she’s not crying at home, she’s out with friends (Margaret Qualley and Jack Antonoff) and she looks happy and healthy. We’re even learning more about why this six-year relationship ended. Via People:
Why they split: Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn broke up a few weeks ago after six years of dating, and a source close to the Grammy winner and the Conversations with Friends actor tells PEOPLE the split was largely caused by “differences in their personalities.”
Rough patches: “They’ve had rough patches before and always worked things out, so friends thought they would take some time apart but eventually come back together,” says the source, noting that “ultimately” Swift, 33, and Alwyn, 32, “weren’t the right fit for one another.”
The safe bubble in the early days: “They had plenty in common and fell in love in a safe bubble while she was retreating from the world during Reputation,” adds the source, referring to Swift’s 2017 studio album. “Then the pandemic hit, and they were locked down together and able to continue growing their relationship in this insulated way. But he didn’t really ‘know’ her yet outside of that bubble.”
Joe didn’t like the limelight: Throughout their relationship, the pair kept details of their romance to themselves, demurring on engagement rumors in recent years. Sources say the pair bonded quickly over shared passions for art and creativity. Indeed, Swift has released 10 songs co-written and/or co-produced with Alwyn, who wrote under the pseudonym William Bowery. The collaborations include six songs on Folklore, three songs on Evermore and “Sweet Nothing” on Midnights. Still, insiders say the actor — who emphasized his need for privacy when asked about Swift during interviews — didn’t like the limelight.
Struggled with fame: “Joe has struggled with Taylor’s level of fame and the attention from the public,” says the source. “The differences in their personalities have also become harder to ignore after years together. They’ve grown apart.”
Talk about marriage: According to multiple sources, Swift and Alwyn had been “talking about marriage as recently as a few months ago.” But at the end of the day, the couple wasn’t ready for a future together. “Taylor didn’t see them working out in the long run,” says the insider, who adds that the split happened “recently” and was “not dramatic.”
Not dramatic: “They are friendly. She doesn’t have anything bad to say about Joe,” adds the insider. “They just grew apart. Taylor is staying very focused on her tour right now.” Despite the breakup, the source adds, “There is a lot of respect still between them.”
It’s interesting, I guess. Taylor and her people definitely want to leave the impression that she was the driver of this split, that while it was mutual and a gentle growing-apart, Taylor was the one who realized that she wasn’t getting what she needed. I think the most interesting and telling part of this story is: they were “able to continue growing their relationship in this insulated way. But he didn’t really ‘know’ her yet outside of that bubble.” Joe only wanted Taylor when he could have her at home, in total privacy, and he didn’t want to be with “Taylor Swift, Pop Icon.”
As for what’s next, I guess Taylor is keeping the Primrose Hill place she bought in London during their relationship. She spent a lot of time in London with Joe, and Page Six has a piece about how much she loves it there and how close she was to Joe’s family. One “Swift source” tells Page Six: “I’m sure her friends will set her up with her next love. Taylor loves a London boy.”
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
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- Las Vegas, NV – “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at Allegiant Stadium on March 24, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pictured: Taylor Swift BACKGRID USA 24 MARCH 2023 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / 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*
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- Las Vegas, NV – “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at Allegiant Stadium on March 24, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pictured: Taylor Swift BACKGRID USA 24 MARCH 2023 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / 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*
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- Dallas, TX – American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift performs at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas Pictured: Taylor Swift BACKGRID USA 31 MARCH 2023 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*
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- Dallas, TX – American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift performs at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas Pictured: Taylor Swift BACKGRID USA 31 MARCH 2023 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*
I don’t really have a horse in this game, but this is the type of stuff that causes me to give people the side eye when they complain about people always focusing on her relationships. She’s at the point in her career where she doesn’t need to do this type of publicity stuff and it just drives narratives.
Exactly. If it was really about privacy you wouldn’t be doing pap strolls and leaking to Page Six.
And already the narrative of him being insecure and not supporting her is taking root, even though she’s clearly the one driving these stories. I hope people remember this in six months when she’s dating somebody new and a new round of dunking on her on social media is going on.
She went to dinner and imo is trying to let her stans know she is fine so they don’t get mad. She hasn’t said he wasn’t supportive in any of this the opposite in fact, it’s being said the level of fame and attention he wasn’t comfortable with which we’ve seen from him.
Yep. She just started her Eras tour which is supposed to be a big celebration of her career thus far. All of this isn’t some narcissistic angle to seem like the winner of the breakup, imo it is mainly about not trying to let it overshadow the tour.
Could also explain why there were apparently some leaks about her upcoming project-I think the goal here is to make fans think she is fine and to distract them with stuff so they stop having meltdowns.
This makes sense. She doesn’t want her tour to be overshadowed. Here she is out and about, working, eating with friends, she’s fine. No pity needed. That’s the message I’m getting from this.
I agree, Rachel, I think this is her protecting him. A lot of her fans go really insane.
Agree. We almost always hear when people break up so I doubt any of her publicists would’ve let her get away with not announcing it. Seems very tame and I hope it stays that way because I like to think that everyone involved is respectful and mature.
Anyways. As to getting a side eye for talking about a personal life and not wanting other people to focus on it… aside from everything else already mentioned, making a couple statements in April is not equivalent to having near constant probably daily sense of a towering wall of interest in your personal life from every publication in the world.
Really? She wasn’t using her power in the coming out process to drive this girl-boss narrative? She knew perfectly well that she had the upper hand in the exiting stage, simply because she is a super star, which can translate her power to set a narrative to suit her business brand, whichever her career stage is at this particular moment. I think that’s what Dee was trying to convey, in that it seems to the outsider, everything to her is business transaction, that even the end of a 6-year long relationship can be commercialised to puff up her brand and image. Already I’ve seen young girls/women in social media praising her of being mature and grown-up, and yet it has always been her that has been running to the press.
Still, I’ll give it to her, since it seems she has a very kindling understanding of her influence to young people, which is basically her bread and butter. By driving this narrative on the PR front, young people seek validation from her for a set of default behaviour, even though it probably isn’t that mature if a civvy on a street running around broadcasting the ins and outs of their relationship to strangers.
uh…fame and entertainment always needs publicity. that’s literally 50% of the job. i read this as, “i want to say my piece before the internet spins and dissects and twists everything that happened.” whether she wants it or not, her love life will be a discussion for weeks with every little nobody with any piece of dirt coming out to say they have the scoop. you kind of have to do this “official” unofficial statement at the level of fame she is at.
Which she already has from her tour that sold out in 2 hours. Acting like she is still at the point in her career when she has to do pap strolls and my friend but really my publicist is telling all this stuff to People magazine is nonsense flat out there’s no other explanation. I don’t understand why people act like Taylor can only be wronged not wrong. She doesn’t need to do this crap is my point. She has been in the game for darn near twenty years, she KNOWS no matter how you try to spin things people will gossip.
She is doing this for the 80,000 people at her shows every night. She wants to make it clear on that first bridge of Cruel Summer when she is up there on the the most expensive, technically impressive touring stage looking like she is having the time of her life and she wants them to know its because she absolutely is! The song may have been inspired by Joe but she isn’t thinking about him right now she wants to enjoy the tour experience and celebrate 20 years of success and the with her fans. The tour is happy not sad.
She is everything. He is just Joe.
I disagree with you. The woman is super famous, and reporters are going to ask her. If she doesn’t say anything, the media can spin it any way they want “She was too brokenhearted to even speak of it”, etc. She used to spill every messy detail, but she’s learned to keep her relationship as quiet as possible, given her fan base. Now she’s released a very factual, unemotional story of their breakup. Kudos to her, and I hope the split was her idea! <3
Love doesn’t always last. Hopefully they will both move on and find their partners in life if that’s what they want. I just don’t get all the leaks about it. It’s over. Move on.
Taylor’s love life used to be full of leaks before Joe. Now she’s reverting back?
Well, leopards don’t change their spot.
Assuming this is true, I think it’s fair enough. She is much, much more famous than him and comes along with massive attention and an obsessed fan base who have worshipped their relationship from the start. It’s a lot to have to take when otherwise no one would know your name and you’re trying to get your own career going.
My partner and I have been together for 17 years and when it’s just the two of us, we never fight or fall out. But when the outside world or other people intrude, things get much harder. And we’re just regular people with regular problems.
Right, Who knows if it’s true but it’s very believable.
In fact, tons of folks were speculating that this narrative was the reason why they didn’t last,
All I hear in this is another man who was intimidated by his successful partner. Look at Tom Holland and Zendaya as an example of the opposite.
He can’t have the lock down bread-baking version of her forever? He has to talk to the media about her because of her extraordinary celebrity status? Oh, boo hoo.
MLE428, you might be right about JA being intimidated by TS. That part probably had an impact. He (and she) did manage to successfully say next to nothing about their relationship while dating though.
If he had an issue with her being successful they wouldn’t have lasted six years. Being successful ans being famous are two different things. And one of those comes with a lot of negative baggage. And not everyone wants that. Doesn’t make him insecure or a villain.
Six years ago Joe probably had a lot more hope that he would break out and be a big star. He had just signed on/began filming The Favourite in 2017, with Olivia Coleman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult. He was the no name among big names, and it would be natural for him to feel that was a stepping stone to greater parts. Then the pandemic hit and no one was doing much of anything. But now that it’s 2023 and he is still best known as Taylor’s guy, Joe might not be as supportive of her and it just doesn’t work anymore.
That’s a big narrative to come up with about a six-year relationship.
Honestly, we will never know the complete ins and outs of a couple as outsiders, but what @Harper described, is not farfetched at all. Relationships are fluid and dynamic and the needs, wants and expectations of partners constantly evolve within a relationship. Joe Alwyn has worked with really big names, so he’s defo for sure aiming high and big, but he hasn’t broken out yet, like other British actors have and the competition is fierce within that industry. it’s really normal to feel insecure about that. Ambition or feeling insecure about your career doesn’t make you a bad person or a villain. It makes you human. Again, no one besides Swift and him know why they broke up and they owe no one an explanation, but since they’re famous, people can, may and will gossip. That’s human too. As long as no none gets hurt, it’s fine to speculate.
They met when she was at the lowest point of her career, like people thought it was over it was so low. His was kicking off well. Then she had successful but not juggernaut albums and his career was still doing good.
Then the pandemic hit, some of his movies fell through and his shows didn’t do well. meanwhile she released three albums that are massive and huge and she’s never been bigger. This will take a toll. He also hasn’t ever known her at this level of attention or success
Tom Holland is a super star in his own right. I see this as a bit more of a Liam/Miley situation though I would venture to say Liam is a bit more successful than Joe and Miley less than Tay.
I think that it was a similar situation. Joe was just starting his career when he met Taylor and so far his relationship with Taylor has defined his public image. He seems like he takes acting seriously and tries to do his best, it would be frustrating to always be asked about your mega-star girlfriend in every interview. I don’t think that is Taylor’s fault either, but perhaps she needs someone who is secure and happy with their life and career like she is. Maybe Joe needs the space in his life to build something for himself.
No, he was probably intimidated by all of the hoopla surrounding her as a result of that fame. He’s always seemed intensely private (yes, there ARE actors who don’t like the spotlight, it’s more common than people think), and Taylor is someone who loves being famous. Something was bound to give, especially given Taylor’s long-term penchant for encouraging the parasocial dynamic with her fans.
What is not being said is that twice in less than two years when Taylor was in the middle of a major career moment likely expecting emotional support he took last minute acting roles as a replacement outside of the country. The first time he did it resulted in her writing her most recent album. The second time seems to have been the last straw.
Post-pandemic as he started to get passed by younger actors and wasn’t the new young thing it appears he got anxious and started to panic. Not trusting that he would keep getting roles.
OK, but loads of people have “major career moments” without their spouse or significant other glued to their side to offer emotional support. In the real world it would be super weird if my spouse came to my office to help me hang pictures in my new fancy corner office or turned down a paying job to come sit quietly in a corner as I chaired my first board meeting.
I’ve seen fans push that career moment narrative and they do her no favors. It makes her sound fragile, needy and treating Joe as an accessory rather than an actual human being.
But that’s it. That’s what I have been trying to get it out. At this moment, everything is from her side. People usually forget that the first person narrative isn’t always reliable. This technique has well been utilised by writers in their works throughout history: several of Agatha Christie’s books to mind.
Whatever her intention is for this exiting PR strategy, she has been taking advantage of the situation and power and driving the narrative.
Not all relationships are built to last, and this has been TS’s longest.
What this article makes me curious about is : What personality differences?? Other than stating that T&J got along great in lockdown, and that J doesn’t like T’s level of fame, I have no idea why they rubbed each other the wrong way? None of my business, but the article also says they were contemplating marriage until recently and they are supposedly friendly.
Unfortunately I think very few men can handle a much more successful woman.
Ask Guy Ritchie for exemple.
Sorry but people who don’t like the limelight do not pursue acting as a profession. To my knowledge, Joe Alwyn was not kidnapped and forced to perform in front of the cameras. He’d be a bit more believable if his work was confined to the stage and small productions but that’s hardly the case. I also find it hard to believe he’d date Taylor Swift, of all people, and not expect some level of attention.
I was an actor for a decade. I actually hated having attention directed at me. Acting isn’t actually about the limelight. Fame is.
I know this is probably coming from her camp, but I feel bad for her. At this point she’s been a notable star for over a decade, and Joe Alwyn is just now determining that the life of a s.o. of a star is not for him? I get that her reputation retreat + pandemic insulated him for a while, but come on. This feels like a bit of ego from him where he was tired of being Joe Alwyn, Taylor’s boyfriend who happens to be an actor, instead of Joe Alwyn, an actor who happens to be dating Taylor Swift. But really, generously, he’s a middling actor who would not have the current profile he enjoys if he hadn’t dated her for so long. I’m no Taylor Swift stan, and I know she can be calculating, but at this point her profile is so huge that I wonder if she’ll be able to find what she’s looking for amongst her current crowd. It seems that there’s always going to be male ego standing in her way. I hope she’s able to do it though!
I really don’t buy this narrative that he was uncomfortable about her publicity. People forget there were three-years between the 2017 reputation roll-out and the 2020 pandemic lockdown. He was being introduced to her side of the world as early as 2017. Two albums basically dedicated to him had come out before the pandemic. It had been advertised thoroughly before 2020 that he was unfazed by her fame during several of the interviews or her sources on tabloids.
Now according to her running of the press, he was uncomfortable about her level of fame?
Come on! Does she really think she can pull a blind on us all?
On the few occasions we saw them together (like after Rep was released), he would always have this stone face while she danced or got close to him. It was bizarre to me. He looked so uncomfortable, but also just boring and grumpy.
I’m getting the vibe that he wanted out. She might be controlling the narrative but I’m ready to believe that he decided this is all too much.
Same. People want to fall back on the “oh his ego couldn’t handle her being more famous than him” trope, but let’s be real: Taylor Swift has some of the biggest amounts of scrutiny not just from the media, but from her vast and many times unhealthily obsessive fandom. Come on…her fans are easily some of THE most parasocial ones out there. Imagine dealing with that nonsense day in and day out. I could see Joe looking at all these strangers fixating on their relationship, seeing that this would be his reality for the rest of his life if he settled down with her, and deciding it wasn’t for him. I said it in yesterday’s post, but Taylor shifting from multiple “I wanna marry this man!” songs to “Um, who said I ever cared to settle down???” in Lavender Haze doesn’t read as a genuine shift of priorities; it reads like her convincing herself that she doesn’t want to marry. I’m not buying the “Taylor didn’t see them working out in the long run” claim in this story. He wanted out.
“oh his ego couldn’t handle her being more famous than him” trope
I mean, it’s not really a “trope” when there have been literally thousands of articles written about men’s inability to accept a more successful partner. I’m not saying that’s what happened here–I have no idea–but let’s not pretend that it’s uncommon for men to feel inferior and jealous of a woman’s success.
This is coming from Taylor’s camp – clearly. To me even just based on the comments to Page Six they seemed like two people who weren’t actually compatible and made it work when they were “dating”. But marriage is a whole other kettle of fish and when that comes into play those differences become huge. Good for them for realizing that BEFORE getting engaged or married. Too bad a lot of other people – famous ans non-famous dont do the same.. But I know people love to paint Taylor as the eternal victim in her relationships so…
Yes and this one-sided narrative just doesn’t make sense?
They were together for over 3 years before the pandemic and it still took him at least 5 years to realise who she is? I know there are couples who put up fronts but if they took this long to realise the personality differences – that’s on both of them. And that’s ok! 6 mostly happy years (it sounds like) is fab for a relationship.
I’ve heard some convincing discussions that as late as 2020, Taylor thought her popularity was on a downward slope and that she’d never regain her pre-2016 status. Apparently she said as much in the Miss Americana documentary so she may have been ready to settle down into a quieter life. Then Evermore and Folklore garnered critical acclaim and she released Midnights to massive acclaim. And while we are still living with Covid, it’s gotten to the point where it’s unlikely to disrupt world tours. Boom superstar Taylor is back with a vengeance.
I don’t blame Taylor for wanting to ride her current wave of fame for as long as she can and I don’t blame Joe if this isn’t what he signed up for. Their relationship worked until it didn’t and there’s nothing wrong with that. Some people are only in our lives for a season or a reason.
I don’t think I could handle being with someone as famous as Taylor. And not because I’m envious of it; I wouldn’t want that for myself. I just wouldn’t like all the scrutiny and attention. Alwyn might want to be a successful actor but not want to be a celebrity. That used to be possible and there are some actors who still manage it. They aren’t the same thing.
Maybe he didn’t want to be in her shadow. Or maybe he just didn’t want the limelight. I don’t know him so I’m not going to assume anything.
Obviously it could be neither of those things but other compatibility issues. I’m just addressing the question of how he felt about her fame because I think it’s natural for people to wonder if that’s what came between them.
Unpopular opinion but I think he got cold feet and split. This is team Tay trying to not make her look like the dumpee.
I’ve just commented to this effect a bit further up. Reading between the lines in her spin he wasn’t game for dealing with her level of fame.
Both things can be true but yea it’s an easy excuse.
When she did Folklore and Evermore, I was happy for her. She seemed to have found a way out of the “songs ripped from my diaries” BS. When Midnights came out, she’d fallen back into the trap of thinking she has only her private life to offer. She’s genuinely talented.
Another way of seeing this is that Joe sees how toxic the bubble is, but she’s afraid to try a different way of doing things.
@Concern, this. Could you imagine how Joe must have felt when she was writing and releasing Midnights, full of songs about her exes? Or about this whole ATW short film thing with Oscar campaign? I mean he could have found the whole deal very toxic, especially if they already had problems in their relationships.
I think fundamentally, their personalities being incompatible has to be true. Taylor admits to being a scheming, revenge-seeking, karma-reveling person, and I’m honestly glad she’s owning it. Much of it is great—providing evidence of cheating to Scooter’s wife, reveling in the downfall of her “enemies,” masterminding a romance into fruition, stringing her fans along for the ride, etc.
But it is all a bit…much. She IS that person who will “right” the “wrongs” in her songs and if you’re not in, are over it or think you’re above it, it’s just not for you. Maybe, as many of you have mentioned, that level of drama/toxicity is just not for Joe? Maybe he can’t support her in good conscience? And maybe Joe’s impartial/boring/low key/laidback nature just isn’t for Taylor?
Come to think of it, now that he’s a Swiftie, maybe Diplo and Taylor have more in common than they think?
@Lux,
“Taylor admits to being a scheming, revenge-seeking, karma-reveling person” – well, it makes her look unhinged and very nasty, actually, no wonder she keeps losing relationships, cause what sane person would want to live with that for the rest of their lives? Lol.
Also, about karma. Her recent lyrics” Karma is the guy on the screen coming straight home to me” aged like milk, what a self-own on Taylor’s part.
As recently as two months ago they talked about marriage, and in conclusion, they both realized they weren’t right for each other. Taylor’s had a long public breakup history and I’m sure that’s the reason for the leaks. Us non-celebrities breakup on the regular and nobody says a word to the press, but when Taylor Swift has a breakup, even when it’s after a six year coupleton, everybody got stuff to say to tear her down. Instead, she’s telling her own story. They weren’t right for each other and Taylor is absolutely not sitting alone in her London flat crying about it. Taylor is happy to return to the comfort of touring until she meets someone new.
I’d recognize (maybe) like one Taylor Swift song and that’s about it. But I have vivid memories of whatever that was with Tom Hiddleston, and this isn’t that. This is Taylor telling us that there’s no drama, no poor Taylor. This is a grown woman moving on with her very lucrative career and happiness.
LOL. She’s ALWAYS told her own story. Every breakup she’s had she’s leaked about to the press.
I agree Tarzana. Haters are going to hate and hope for Taylor Swift’s downfall no matter what (must be her spin, she wanted to marry him but he didn’t, he dumped her, etc.). Why wouldn’t someone in Taylor Swift’s position put out a low key explanation and then move forward rather than letting the speculation increase? Seems pretty no drama.
It seems to be more of Taylor’s fans making about him being intimidated by her fame. I am not a Taylor fan but to me, it seems like a breakup between two people who reached the question that many couples have to ask themselves: Are we right for each other? That’s not dramatic. That’s just life.
Doesn’t seem like she felt the need to do so in the past 6 years with all the other speculation about them. She wasn’t going to People or Page Six when people were saying they were engaged or already married, etc. She doesn’t need to comment at all. If it’s no hard feelings and she’s happy why does she need to explain anything? That’s why I say she’s beyond the point in her career needing to do this stuff so it’s clearly more a desire than a need. It has nothing to do with wishing for her downfall she literally is beyond this. I agree with the other poster that her fandom has the most parasocial relationship with her and for whatever reason thinks that she doesn’t operate like any other celebrity.
LOL at this. Taylor has insinuated heavily many times that she lies to the public like any other celebrity through her publicist. She and Joe were together almost 4 years when the pandemic started. There’s no way that they didn’t work out bc their pandemic bubble burst.
Yes but in those 4 years pre pandemic, her career wasn’t at its peak and his was on an upswing. Then the pandemic hit and some of his movies got cancelled and his replacement show flopped while her career took on another level of fame.
I don’t think he’s a bad guy but let’s not act like being with someone when you’re struggling in your career (nothing wrong with it) and they are thriving, to put it mildly, doesn’t cause friction.
It is also possible seeing up close how big her big is was to much: nothing wrong with that. A lot of people can’t do that level of fame, in fact most people can’t even famous people.
Oh come on. You make it sound like her pre-pandemic fame was just some silly child play. You forgot how she tanked Katy Pary’s album launch by releasing her catalogue on sportify? Fame at her level even before the pandemic can only grow marginally and incrementally. And she didn’t accrue her fans all of a sudden since the pandemic.
I’ve always thought Joe wanted the same career Paul Mescal guaranteed after Normal People, but Conversation with Friends didn’t go anywhere and now he went from being Taylor’s boyfriend to her ex.
This!
I saw pics on Instagram of people leaving flowers and kneeling outside of her place on Cornelia Street. I like some of her music, but her stans are batshit man. I don’t know if I’d want to compete with that or deal with that for my entire life, either.
Oh my gosh I am a fan too, but I am so embarrassed for them. NO. Don’t do that friends. LOL.
So, this is another case of Taylor playing the victim (again) and trying to pin “but Joe couldn’t handle her fame”, “he didn’t really know her” on Joe now? Seems like it tbh. Sounds like re-run of Calvin Harris situation.
Idk if Joe was really insecure about her fame and his own success or lack of, as he always was the chillest of her boyfriends. But one thing for sure, if I was Joe, I wouldn’t be super thrilled with Taylor if several years in our relationships she would be doing those weird short films about her ex, she dated ages ago, and trying to nominate it for Oscar!
Literally nothing in this article is her playing the victim it is saying they are two different people wanting different things. The only person creating a villain narrative is you, and a few others who are desperate to paint Taylor as horrible she literally went to dinner and never said a negative word about this man.
“Joe couldn’t handle her level of fame” is literally what the source from her camp said. It’s most definitely painting her as a victim
When they met, Taylor had retreated from the spotlight after the whole Kim/Kanye/Tom Hiddleston debacle, in that same year she also broke up with Calvin Harris. She was overexposed and a punchline so she was all about privacy when they met and Joe has always been about that too.
Taylor had a few albums come out pre-pandemic but the first few years she and Joe were very low-key and Taylor was very much about privacy. The pandemic also extended that. I think had COVID19 not hit, they would have broken up much earlier. But since it was just the two of them alone, they were able to prolong their privacy bubble. After vaccines came out and people were being more social, Taylor most likely wanted to be more social too. She had taken a very long sabbatical from the media glare and was ready to get back into it and tour. And Joe clearly wasn’t. I honestly think they lasted as long as they did due to COVID.
I think the he couldn’t handle her fame is partially true but also some spin. It seemed like Taylor changed her tune about marriage when she realized Joe wasn’t interested. She tried to play along, call it 1950s shit and not pressure him. But at some point, she accepted they wanted different things.
I’m picturing a role reversal of Midnight Rain. Joe wanted that fame to make his own name, while Taylor already has. Marriage would never take away her level of fame or overshadow her name, she’s too big.
I don’t think the narrative is meant to be that he couldn’t deal with her success because he’s jealous or insecure. It’s that he didn’t like the circus of not being able to leave the house without people recognising you. That’s a valid concern, particularly if you’re talking about marriage & children and how that future might look.
«Joe has struggled with Taylor’s level of fame and the attention from the public,” says the source. « lmao. Why in gods name would you even start to date someone of THAT level of fame if you know you will have issues with it? I don’t believe this part. He knew what he was getting himself into.
Other than that I don’t really care about what will happen next with Taylor and her relationships. I just hope she will continue having fun on her tour!
Did Diana know what she was getting herself into? Did Meghan? Does anyone on the outside of a completely different set up ever really know what they’re getting?
I’m sorry I have nothing to add in any meaningful way but I, as a Taylor Swift fan, love the pic of Taylor in which she looks like she’s mic’ing a fart to blast the audience with.
🤣🤣🤣 I, an intellectual…
I kinda scrolled by the concert photos because I went to the concert and saw them already but I’m so glad I went back up and looked because now I am DYING laughing at your caption for the photo, as I’m waiting for target pickup. Embarrassing. 😆😆😆
In my opinion: Very simple: The business contract ended. TS is a very clever woman.
Paul McCartney’s life Linda gave up a thriving career as a celeb photographer to live with him in the Scottish countryside without running water or heat (at first), raise their babies, and help Paul get through his extreme depression post-Beatles-breakup. Then, when Paul was ready to go on tour again, Linda literally learned an instrument, overcame her stage fright and her nerves about her singing (Paul had taught her how to sing and harmonize professionally, but Linda would never be a great vocalist) and went on the road with him, bringing all the kids. She made sure she and Paul never spent a night apart (except when he was imprisoned in Japan!). She knew she married a globally famous and hotly desired man and guaranteed that their family stayed intact, that they were always together and built their lives around each other no matter what the fame machine was doing or what kind of music Paul was making. I don’t think every dedicated life partner of a massive rock star has to do all this but I mean, to stay healthily married to one, you do have to try and work and figure out ways to keep the partnership alive and good and happy. Linda WORKED at this. She poured her creativity into it.
And Joe Alwyn did not do this, for Taylor Swift.
Is it a gender thing? What hetero man would do what it takes to be the life partner of a woman musical genius/superstar at this level?
Just replying to my own question: I think maybe Pink’s husband does a pretty good job at supporting her, bringing the kids on part of every tour, etc. Right? And Orlando Bloom seems to back up Katy Perry pretty well. Are there other examples of straight men being good partners to superstar rock/pop wives?
Pink and her husband have had years and years of therapy for this reason. And he was successful in his own career as well. For an ‘up and comer’ who only became Taylor’s boyfriend it would be hard.
I am going with the John Jr/Carolyn Bessette vibe.
They pretended to break up (in a very public/dramatic way, I believe) to throw off the public and paparazzi and then got married quietly while no one was watching.
I don’t know if this would be Taylor’s vibe? Maybe she would want the big flashy wedding.
But that was the first thought that popped into my brain when I read about this.
Guess time will tell.
Oh I didn’t know this about JFK Jr. and CBK! I know their wedding was super private (some remote island off the coast of Georgia in the middle of the night?) but I didn’t know they pretended to break up beforehand.
Absolutely fascinating theory. No idea if it’s true but it’s fun to think about!
Interesting. Except, Taylor and Joe had already been super undercover for over six years. It was working! They could’ve easily married. Instead, the news of their split significatly increased the attention and the spotlight. Now everyone wants the first images of Taylor and Joe since the split. As evidenced by everyone immediately finding out she was filming a music video in Liverpool, then flew back to NY for dinner with Jack and Margaret. She isn’t secretly getting married, she is doing a ‘single Taylor’ PR rollout.
“Taylor loves a London boy.”
Ha! May I be so bold as to suggest Max Minghella as a possible suitor?
He’s a Brit, older than Joe, secure in his own career that’s heading towards directing, he’s publicly talked about his love of pop music and Taylor Swift, and he’s recently single!
It’s interesting to me because when the article from People came out a few weeks ago that mentioned that they’re both going strong and he’s looking at his schedule on when to attend one of her concerts – I was thinking to myself, hmm either they’re going to get engaged soon or might break up. Funny, a few weeks later we hear that they indeed broke up. And I don’t even follow their relationship, although I do like Taylor Swift and love her songs. Actually Last night it was the first time I heard his speaking voice in one of the fan videos on YouTube taken a year or 2 ago lol.
Which made me think again of her famous peers like Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone , and a couple of her exes that are already married and some having their own kids. It’s just human nature to think that way esp when you’ve been with someone for 6 years of dating, while people around you are getting married and or having kids .
Regarding the insecurity thing that Joe maybe had because she’s famous, I mean JLaws relationship with her husband seems to work out. She’s famous, he’s not , but he’s supportive. I can see JA feeling insecure about her fame and that his ego might hurt a bit that people only knew of him as Taylor Swifts boyfriend (someone mentioned Guy Ritchie above had the same ego when he was married to Madonna. And to be honest I always thought Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone were going to get married as they seemed like a great match. But I sometimes felt he saw her stardom rising more than him at the time which made him feel indifferent. Interesting enough, they broke up and the next guy Emma had a relationship with, they both got married.)
Brings me to the last statement of this article, about finding another “London boy” as she wants to keep her home in England. Agree, It’s been a while since she’s dated an American lol, and it’s obvious she prefers British men . But maybe if she wants to get married and settle down, who knows might be better for her to see what’s available at home.. lol.. it’s funny because a commenter from one of ETs post yesterday actually said the same thing..lol..(look at Emma and Jennifer) 🙂
They look so much alike, I’m surprised they broke up. That’s my only observation.
Joe was with her during the Reputation tour so I don’t buy that he doesn’t “know” her beyond pandemic times. I think it’s the case of she wanted to get married and he didn’t. That’s usually what it’s about when long term couples break up in their 30’s.
Taylor needs to find her own version of Danny Moder. Stay in the background, help raise the kids. Let the wife be the star and drive the ship. And just be happy and supportive of the blessed life your wife has given you. Has worked for Julia Roberts for the last 20 years.