Ah, young love. The sort that includes that 'lavender haze' that Taylor Swift so eloquently used to describe how she and her partner of six years, Joe Alwyn had dodged 'weird rumours' and 'tabloid stuff' as they '(ignored) that stuff to protect the real stuff.'
At least that was how the Anti-Hero singer described the line in an Instagram video posted in October. Lavender Haze, the title of the first song on her latest album, Midnights, she said was something she 'happened upon' while watching Mad Men.
She liked it and used it in her songwriting. Of course, her relationship with British actor Alwyn had been given plenty of attention over the years the couple had been together – and the lyrics to Lavender Haze were seen by some as an indication that wedding bells could be heard in the not-too-distant future.
Clearly, though, this was not the case. When Swift began her tour, all the talk was that Alwyn would be joining her at some point. But they split before that took place – if they were even genuinely still together when the tour kicked off.
Both stars had been keen to keep details of their romance under wraps – as detailed in Swift's now-deleted Instagram video in which she hinted that the phrase 'lavender haze' summed up her relationship with Alwyn – or did she?
The US singer certainly said it had been a factor throughout their relationship. But she also described it as something 'a lot of people have to deal with this now, not just like 'public figures,' because we live in the era of social media, and if the world finds out if you're in love with somebody they're going to weigh in on it.'
Maybe her post was more an indication, then, of how the weight of public scrutiny was putting unnecessary and unwanted strain on the relationship.
Although a source told US Weekly that Taylor Swift's status as an A-list celebrity was a contributing factor in the split, with Joe Alwyn 'very shy' and not a fan of having to 'be on all the time.'
While the singer hasn't really opened up on the end of her romance with Alwyn, things appeared to take a turn on April 20. That day, Taylor Swift was photographed out with Gigi Hadid, Blake Lively, and the Haim Sisters – who all subsequently unfollowed Alwyn on Instagram – while Joe Alwyn was pictured in London looking forlorn.
Friends of Swift say she is 'enjoying her freedom' and 'optimistic about the future' following the split. But it's starting to feel a bit like this might be a break up that slowly plays out in the public eye as details are revealed.
Source: US Weekly.