Taylor Swift is engaged, and her love story with NFL star Travis Kelce continues. But how does her long-term ex, British actor Joe Alwyn, feel about her fairytale moment? The actor seems to be gracious, but distant.
After two years of dating, Swift, 35, and Kelce, also 35, announced their engagement in a dreamy Instagram post on Tuesday. Posing in a garden at Kelce’s Missouri home, the couple’s shoot was intimate and romantic, complete with a vintage-inspired, oval-cut diamond ring estimated at $550,000.
And while fans showed their excitement over the romantic reveal, some turned their attention to Swift’s ex of six years, Joe Alwyn, who has remained silent about their relationship and its aftermath.
How Joe Alwyn reacted to the news:
According to a source, the actor has no intention of reaching out. “Taylor’s engagement is the final nail in the coffin to any thoughts Joe will ever have about her again,” an insider revealed to the Daily Mail.
“Sure, he genuinely hopes she is in a good place and doing well, but he doesn’t think about her anymore on any consistent basis and hasn’t reached out, nor will he, to offer congratulations.” The source added, “He feels that it is not needed, and he feels she wouldn’t want to hear from him anyway.”
A new life chapter for the actor:
Since the split, Alwyn has focused on his career and personal growth. In a rare interview with The Sunday Times Style in June 2024, he shared, “We together — both of us, mutually — decided to keep the more private details of our relationship private. It was never something to commodify and I see no reason to change that now.”
Reflecting on the breakup, he added, “This is also a little over a year ago now and I feel fortunate to be in a really great place in my life, professionally and personally. I feel really good.”
Alwyn described their relationship as “long, loving,” and “fully committed.” He acknowledged the emotional toll of the breakup, telling The Guardian in January 2025, “I have tried just to focus on controlling what I can control… friends, family, work, of course.”
Inside their 6-year romance:
Alwyn and Swift met at the 2016 Met Gala, quietly embarking on a relationship. Their romance was first captured on camera in 2017 in Nashville.
Over six years together, they managed to keep a bubble of privacy. However, Alwyn left his fingerprints on Swift’s discography, co-producing parts of Folklore and co-writing fan-favorite tracks like 'Exile' and 'Betty' under the pseudonym William Bowery.
Despite their discretion, fans speculated marriage was on the horizon, especially as the couple spent the COVID-19 lockdown living together. But in April 2023, the news broke. Swift and Alwyn had called it quits.
A source close to the singer later told Daily Mail the relationship had been strained by Swift’s fame. “Her career took priority,” they said. “They ultimately realized they were not on the same page anymore.”
“They have both moved on from what was once very special,” the source emphasized. “Joe now hopes that he can focus on his life and career, and is considered more than just Taylor’s ex.”