Originally appeared on E! Online
Joe Alwyn is speaking out for the first time about his split from Taylor Swift.
Watch NBC Chicago local news and weather without login
The “Mary Queen of Scots” actor shared his thoughts on their 2023 breakup in a rare interview, more than a year after the two ended their long relationship.
“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,” Alwyn told The Sunday Times in an interview published June 15. “That is a hard thing to navigate.”
Referring to the mass public scrutiny over the breakup, the 33-year-old continued, “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.”
The British star made his comments after being asked if he had listened to Swift’s new album “The Tortured Poets Department,” which contains several Easter Eggs related to her love life, past and present.
All of Taylor Swift’s Songs Inspired By Joe Alwyn
The name of the album itself is similar to a WhatsApp group chat nicknamed “The Tortured Man Club” that Alwyn used to be involved in with fellow actors Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott (who set it up, as the “Fleabag” alum told Variety last month).
In addition, many fans and critics believe the album’s track “So Long London,” is an apparent nod to her split from Alwyn. The lyrics to another breakup song, “The Black Dog,” references “some bar” of the same name, which appears to be a pub in London’s Vauxhall neighborhood.
However, as Alwyn stated in his latest interview, “I’ve never been to Vauxhall.”
