Joe Alwyn is speaking about his breakup with Taylor Swift publicly for the first time.

In a new interview for The Sunday Times Style, the British actor is asked if he has listened to Taylor’s The Tortured Poets Department album, on which some songs are said to be about their relationship. While he doesn’t answer the question directly, he gives some insight into what it was like going through such a public breakup.

“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,” he says. “That is a hard thing to navigate. 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.”

He adds that he has had to make peace with the speculation surrounding their relationship, saying, “there is always going to be a gap between what is known and what is said.”

Alwyn also clarifies that he and Taylor “mutually” decided to keep details of their relationship private. “It was never something to commodify and I see no reason to change that now,” he says.

The two split in April 2023. Taylor is currently dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

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