Joe Alwyn for the first time addressed his breakup from Taylor Swift after more than six years of dating, and the 33-year-old British actor acknowledges that navigating the breakup proved difficult.
In an interview with The Times of London published Saturday, Alwyn opened up about the 2023 breakup that sent shockwaves around the world, and he even weighed in on whether he stays in touch with the Tortured Poets Department songstress.
But when asked if he’s listened to Swift’s latest album — which fans have speculated includes a song, “So Long, London,” alluding to their years-long relationship — Alwyn played it coy and took a more diplomatic approach to the question.
“In thinking on what I was going to say, I would think and hope that anyone and everyone can [empathize] …This isn’t a direct answer to your question, but just thinking about what I want to talk about … ” Alwyn says before gathering himself. “I would hope that anyone and everyone can [empathize] and understand the difficulties that come with the end of a long, loving, fully committed relationship of over six and a half years. That is a hard thing to navigate. What is unusual and abnormal in this situation is that, one week later, it’s suddenly in the public domain and the outside world is able to weigh in.”
ET exclusively reported on April 8, 2023 that Swift and Alwyn’s breakup was amicable and “not dramatic.”ET had been told that “the relationship had just run its course” and it’s why Alwyn, who started dating Swift in 2016, hadn’t been seen at her Eras Tour shows.
For Alwyn, the breakup was one thing, but dealing with the fallout and ensuing headlines was another.
“So you have something very real suddenly thrown into a very unreal space: tabloids, social media, press, where it is then dissected, speculated on, pulled out of shape beyond recognition,” he said. “And the truth is, to that last point, there is always going to be a gap between what is known and what is said. I have made my peace with that.”
Alwyn, who will next appear in director Yorgos Lanthimos’ upcoming anthology film, Kinds of Kindness, added he’s in a good place in his life more than a year after the breakup.
“I feel fortunate to be in a really good place in my life, professionally and personally,” he said. “I feel good.”
But when asked whether he’s remained in touch with Swift, the actor, who is credited on a number of Swift’s songs under the pseudonym, William Bowery, remained true to himself.
“I’m sure you can appreciate, given the level of noise and scrutiny about my past relationship, why I wouldn’t want to just open the door to things like that right now,” he said.
But a source told ET back in April that the Conversations with Friends star is keeping his distance from any drama or speculation about Swift’s new songs.
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“Taylor and Joe are not in touch at this point, but they try to be respectful of one another,” a source told ET. “Joe wants to keep his personal life private. He is more introverted and the interest about his personal life is a bit overwhelming to him. He is focused on acting and his career.”
Swift and the frontman of The 1975, Matt Healy, were briefly linked in 2023 following her split from Alwyn, before her current relationship with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, whom the songstress carves out time for amid her busy schedule. And Kelce reciprocates that effort.
A source recently told ET that “Taylor and Travis make sure that the current long-distance aspect of their relationship doesn’t last very long. They both move their schedules around if it’s feasible and try to carve out as much time as they can to see each other, as well as each other’s families and friends.”
The source added, “They prioritize each other and do anything and everything to make each other happy. Their relationship is genuine and they both want to make it work, so it does.”
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