Having dated some of the world’s most eligible bachelors, Taylor Swift’s romantic life has been publicly scrutinised over the years. It’s no surprise, therefore, that the Blank Space hitmaker has opted to become more private in her relationship endeavours.
Taylor Swift is not single; she is currently in a relationship with British actor Joe Alwyn. The couple have been together since 2017, and seem to be going from strength to strength. Nevertheless, the duo certainly aren’t the type to pack on the PDA. Their relationship has primarily blossomed away from the spotlight, leaving it shrouded in mystery.
Is it true love or will Taylor ever, ever be getting back together with one of her exes? Keep reading, because in this article we’ll be talking through who Joe Alwyn is, how Joe and Taylor met, and how their relationship developed.
Who is Joe Alwyn?
29-year old Joe Alwyn is a British actor and model. He’s best known for his roles in Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk(2016), Mary Queen of Scots(2018), and The Favourite(2018).
Like his girlfriend, Joe is notoriously private and likes to keep a low profile. Speaking to The Sunday Times in December 2019 he said:
“I don’t have any interest in tabloids. I know what I want to do, and that’s this, and that’s what I’m doing”.
Joe Alwyn
When Stars Align
So how does a self-proclaimed introvert like Joe Alwyn become acquainted with an award-winning superstar like Taylor Swift?
According to Elle magazine, the pair first met at the 2016 Met Gala. At the time Taylor was seeing Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, but this relationship came to an end shortly after.
One year later in 2017, Taylor released her sixth studio album, Reputation, which features a song called Dress. In the song Taylor sings: “flashback to when you first met me, your buzz cut and my hair bleached”. Eager fans have interpreted this as confirmation from Swift that the pair crossed paths at the Met Gala, since it correlates with how they both looked on the night.
From Strangers to Lovers
Taylor and Joe reportedly started dating in October 2016, after they were spotted at the same Kings of Leon private concert in New York. During the early stages, they tried to keep their relationship under wraps, with Taylor supposedly wearing wigs and hats to disguise her identity whilst they were out on dates.
But news of their relationship broke out in May 2017, and they were pictured together for the first time just one month later. In the paparazzi shots, Swift and Alwyn can be seen enjoying a coffee together on a balcony in Nashville.
Between July 2017 and September 2018 their relationship continued to bloom away from the public eye. At this point, neither Taylor or Joe had confirmed their relationship but they were seen together leaving her New York apartment, and posted matching Instagram shots from a vacation.
This all changed in September 2018, however, when Alwyn spoke publicly about their relationship for the first time. In an interview with British Vogue the actor 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”.
So far in 2020, Taylor and Joe have been a lot more open with their relationship. In January they attended the Golden Globes together, and in February they were spotted by a fan sharing a kiss at the NME awards.
Joe also features in Taylors 2020 Netflix documentary, Miss Americana. Speaking of their relationship she said:
“I was falling in love with someone who had a really wonderfully normal, balanced, grounded life. We decided together that we wanted our relationship to be private”.
Taylor Swift
In any case, it doesn’t look like Taylor will be writing more catchy break-up songs anytime soon!