Joe Alwyn Breaks Silence on Taylor Swift Breakup

Joe Alwyn is speaking out for the first time about his split from Taylor Swift, more than a year after they called it quits.

Joe Alwyn is speaking out for the first time about his split from Taylor Swift.

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.

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."

"Fortnight" (featuring Post Malone): In the first track of TTPD, Taylor Swift and Post Malone team up to sing about a "temporary" romance that lasted for a fortnight (two weeks).

"And I love you, it's ruining my life," the lyrics tease. "I touched you, for only a fortnight."

It appears the song is a reference to Taylor's rekindled romance with The 1975's Matty Healy, which first began in 2014 and revived a decade later in the spring of 2023 following her breakup with Joe Alwyn.

And although the revival of Taylor and Matty's relationship was brief, it was jam-packed with emotion, according to these lyrics.

She told iHeartRadio the opening number is "fatalistic" just like the rest of the "tragic" album.

"The Tortured Poets Department": While fans previously pointed out the connection between the album's name TTPD and Joe's WhatsApp group chat called "The Tortured Man Club," the titular song actually includes references to Matty.

Even the track's opening lyrics, "You left your typewriter at my apartment," gives a nod to Matty, who noted he "really" likes typewriters in a 2019 interview with GQ.

Later on in the song, the lyrics offer more insight into Taylor and Matty's strong bond. Taylor even recalls, "At dinner you take my ring off my middle finger and put it on the one people put wedding rings on. And that’s the closest I’ve come to my heart exploding."

Taylor's lyrics also include shoutouts to poet Dylan Thomas—"you're not Dylan Thomas"—and singer-songwriter Patti Smith—"I'm not Patti Smith." As well as Charlie Puth. "You smoked then ate seven bars of chocolate / We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist."