During his six years of dating Taylor Swift, Joe Alwyn made a point to never really talk about their relationship (and even expressed his hope that people would eventually stop caring about it). But now, he seems to have some thoughts—and pain—over her new romance with Matty Healy that he doesn’t mind going public.
A source close to Alwyn told Daily Mail that the British actor felt hurt that Swift had already moved on. News of Swift and Healy’s romance broke on May 3, while reports of her and Alwyn’s March breakup came out on April 8.
Swift previously worked with Healy on her album Midnights, but the music Healy and his band, The 1975, worked on did not make the final cut of the album.
“Joe feels slighted and is distraught after seeing her budding relationship with Matt, but is doing his best to keep busy and focus on himself,” the source told the British tabloid. “Joe was aware that Taylor and Matt were making music together and collaborating. She told him that they had become friends and he trusted her.”
That source denied the notion that there was any “overlap” between Swift’s romances with Healy and Alwyn.
A source told Entertainment Tonight on April 11 that Swift ended things with Alwyn in March.“Taylor and Joe are in totally different places in their lives right now,” the source said at the time. “It was more of Taylor’s decision to break up, but both of them realized that they weren’t completely right for one another. They had been together for such a long time and were spending so much time together, but their personalities were just too different. Joe is more introverted, shy, and quiet.”
The source made it clear that Swift still thought very highly of Alwyn after the split. “She’s very focused on touring and her career right now,” the source said. “Taylor has nothing but respect for Joe and really loved and enjoyed all the time and memories she shared with him. They had a deep connection and she really appreciated that. She hopes they can be friendly in the future.”
Senior News and Strategy Editor
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.