Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn have been dating for around six years, but fans were left devasted by reports of their break-up over the weekend.
Fans' suspicions were raised when Joe, an actor best known for his roles in Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, The Favourite, and Conversations with Friends, hadn't made any appearances at Taylor's concerts for a number of weeks. She is currently performing across the US in her Eras Tour.
The two have maintained a very private relationship while together, as Taylor's previous relationships have often made headlines, including romances with Tom Hiddleston and Calvin Harris. They are thought to have first met back in 2016, so here's a full timeline of everything we know about their relationship.
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May 2016
While this has never been confirmed, most fans agree that Taylor and Joe first met at 2016 Met Gala, back when she was still with Calvin Harris. This was also the first night she met Tom Hiddleston, and a video of the two of them dancing together went viral.
Her 2017 album Reputation included the song 'Dress', which fans speculate is about Joe, which features the lyrics: "Flashback to when you met me, your buzzed cut and my hair bleached." and many will remember Taylor's bleached hair look from the Gala.
November 2016
After breaking up with Calvin Harris and then a brief fling with Tom Hiddleston, Taylor Swift attended the premier of Joe's film Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, which she went to with her mum and the Haim sisters.
May 2017
Reports began to emerge that Joe and Taylor were dating, but sources close to the couple claimed they had been together for months and were keeping things private.
October 2017
Many fans will remember a handful of people being picked for 'secret' listening sessions for Reputation, with a lucky few being able to head to Taylor's home and listen to the album with her. One fans claimed that at one of these sessions, she told them that the song 'Gorgeous' is about Joe, and that she's happy for them to share that.
December 2017
Taylor and Joe were spotted engaging in some PDA at the iHeartRadio Jingle Bell Ball in New York. Taylor's long-standing friendship with Ed Sheeran is well-known among fans, and she and Joe were spotted dancing together during Ed's set at the concert.
May 2018
Taylor and Joe posted coordinated Instagram pictures on themselves, alone, standing next to the same cactus, sending fans into a frenzy. Joe later claimed that the posts weren't planned, but it's the closest fans have got to the two making their relationship 'Instagram-official'.
September 2018
Joe did an interview for British Vogue where he said: "I’m aware people want to know about that side of things. I think we have been successfully very private and that has now sunk in for people…but I really prefer to talk about work." He said the same thing in an interview with GQ a month later.
February 2019
Taylor and Joe were spotted together at a BAFTAs after party, and even photographed holding hands, which was rare for the two of them.
August 2019
Taylor Swift released her album Lover, which had fans hooked and determined to de-code who each song was about on the album. Some were even convinced the 'Paper Rings' was big marriage reveal, and believe that 'Lover' is about Joe.
December 2019
After spending a private Thanksgiving together in London, the pair also spent Christmas together in London with Joe's family and friends.
January 2020
The two attended the Golden Globes together, although they did not walk the red carpet together. They were spotted sat together at the awards where Taylor was a presenter and nominee for Best Original Song - Motion Picture for her and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new original song for Cats, 'Beautiful Ghosts'.
This was also the month Taylor's documentary Miss Americana was released on Netflix, where she gave viewers some insight into her relationship. She said: "We decided together we wanted our relationship to be private. Even though [my public image in 2016] was really horrible, I was happy. But I wasn’t happy in the way I was trained to be happy. It was happiness without anyone else’s input. We were just…happy.”
April 2020
Fans deduced that the two were quarantining together when Joe posted pictures of one of Taylor's cats on his Instagram story. This continued into May.
July 2020
Taylor announced her eighth album, Folklore, with fans once again combing through the lyrics to sus out which songs were about Joe. Some also began to speculate that he might have had a hand writing the songs, under the pseudonym William Bowery.
November 2020
Taylor confirmed that songwriter William Bowery is Joe, and spoke about his musical talent in the Disney+ film, Folklore: the long pond studio sessions.
December 2020
Less than five months after the release of Folklore, Taylor announced her ninth album, Evermore. Once again, the songs were picked apart by fans to find clues as to who they were about. William Bowery, Alwyn’s songwriting pseudonym, is credited on the songs 'Champagne Problems', 'Coney Island', and 'Evermore'.
May 2021
Joe got a shout-out from Taylor in her acceptance speech for at the BRIT awards, where she received the Global Icon award. She said: "The world changed, and I ended up putting out three albums instead, so making Folklore and Evermore was one of the most unique, cathartic, extraordinary experiences I’ve ever had. I would love the opportunity to thank the amazing creative people that I made those albums with.
"Thank you, Aaron Dessner, thank you Jack Antonoff, Joe [Alwyn], Justin Vernon, the National, Marcus Mumford, Jon Low, Serban Ghenea, Laura Sisk, and HAIM. I want to thank my friends and family who know exactly who they are: Whose opinion of me never changed whether my stock was up or down.”
December 2021
Taylor liked one of Joe's Instagram posts, a series of pictures he shared from the set of The Stars at Noon, the film he was shooting at the time.
May 2022
In an interview with GQ, Joe said he was hoping people would stop caring about his relationship with Taylor.
October 2022
Taylor shared that one of the songs on her newest album Midnights is about Joe: 'Lavender Haze'. She said: "My relationship for six years we've had to dodge weird rumours, tabloid stuff, and we just ignore it.
"This song is sort of about the act of ignoring that stuff to protect the real stuff.”
March 2023
A source close to the pair said that Joe would be attending Eras concerts when he could, but he is yet to be spotted at any while he films a new project in the UK.
April 2023
Reports from a source close to the pair emerged claiming they have been broken up for several weeks. More details have been rumoured over the weekend, including a change to Taylor's setlist on tour to remove a song believed to be about Joe.
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