L’ex di Taylor Swift, Joe Alwyn, interviene su The Tortured Poets Department

If we accept as true that much of the latest album by Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poet’s Department, deals with her six-year relationship with the English actor Joe Alwynhis absence from the spotlight seems understandable: the album describes toxic exchanges and painful breakups, with a cast of adult male children that makes Animal House. But after a leading role in the new film by the director of Poor creatures Yorgos Lanthimos, Kinds of KindnessAlwyn can’t keep hiding. And unlike some characters who only agree to interviews under strict guidelines, Alwyn will also take questions about Taylor Swift, as long as they stay within limits.

Or at least, that’s what it seems to be like in an interview given to Sunday Times released today, in which Alwyn spoke publicly for the first time about his breakup with the billionaire singer.

If Swift’s song “Dress” is any indication, the pair apparently first met at the 2016 Met Gala. Swift was there because she’s Taylor Swift; Alwyn, an early-career actor, was reportedly there as the actor’s date. Garrett Hedlund. Thus began a relationship of six or more years (depending on which version you accredit) with a fairly definitive end point around April 2023, or earlier.

Swift, who was in the midst of her Eras Tour when the news broke, changed quite quickly, first with Matty Healy of 1975 (also a possible subject of TPD), then with his current wife, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. While these relationships played out on the main stage, Alwyn’s life continued away from the spotlight, with rare public appearances and the occasional cryptic social media post.

Anonymous sources, presumably close to Alwyn, said he, too, has “moved on” and “focused on work.” And it’s work that could force him to step back, if this latest interview—which, perhaps understandably, highlights his bond with Swift more than his latest acting work—remains the norm.

Even Alwyn understands this, telling the Times: “I understand people’s curiosity,” when asked about Swift and TPD. And speaking of the album itself, she says she “hopes that everyone can relate to and understand the difficulties that come with the end of a long, loving, fully committed relationship of over six and a half years.”

“It’s a difficult situation to deal with. What is unusual and abnormal about this situation is that, a week later, it is suddenly public knowledge, and the outside world feels entitled to make its assessments.”

Looking back on the furore surrounding their relationship, Alwyn says: “There’s something very real that’s suddenly thrown into a very unreal space: the tabloids, the social media, the press, where it’s then dissected, instrumentalized and twisted beyond recognition. The truth is there’s always going to be a gap between what’s known and what’s said. I’ve made my peace with that.”

Alwyn also suggests that fans and the media have been slower to get over it than he and Swift have been: “It’s been a little over a year and I feel blessed to be at a really great point in my life, professionally and personally,” he says.

One thing the relationship has taught him is the need to protect his private life as much as possible. “As everyone knows, we decided together—both of us—to keep the most private details of our relationship to ourselves. It was never something to be commodified, and I see no reason to change that now,” he says.

An assessment that he still makes his own today regarding his current love life, which he refuses to talk about: “I’m sure people will understand,” he says, “considering the many uncontrolled rumors about my past relationship. In short, I would not like to open the door to a repetition of these things at this time.”

“I have brilliant, authentic people in my life,” she says, “and I try to live in reality, away from the online noise of Twitter or whatever. I try to enjoy the moment.”