Joe Alwyn’s Request For People to Let Go of His Past Relationship with Taylor Swift

Alwyn and Swift started dating in 2016 but broke up in 2023. The former lovebirds have since moved on to new relationships after their split.

However, people still discuss their romance, which Alwyn seems fed up with and wants to stop.

Alwyn spoke to The Guardian in an interview published on Sunday and opened up about his relationship with Swift and its aftermath.

The English actor has not always enjoyed being in the spotlight, but his relationship with the beloved American singer meant he couldn’t always hide.

Alwyn shared that when asked if he was worried about dating Taylor Swift and how it might overshadow his career, he responded calmly, “I have tried just to focus on controlling what I can control. And, right from the beginning, tried to focus on the things that are meaning for me: friends, family, work, of course.”

He continued by acknowledging the challenges of being in the public eye, stating, “So noise outside of that, I think I’ve done what lots of people who find themselves in the public eye do, which is try and ignore it. If you don’t, and if you let all of that other stuff in, and if it starts to affect you and your behavior, you’re living from the outside in. And then you’re pretty f-cked.”

During the interview, Alwyn was asked if he wanted to move on from the chatter surrounding his and Swift’s romance.

However, he maintained that he had moved on, and it was left for others to do so.

Alwyn explained, “That’s something for other people to do. We’re talking about something that’s a while ago now in my life.”

He concluded, “So that’s for other people. That’s what I feel.”

Alwyn loves his privacy but previously spoke about his relationship with Swift during an interview with The Sunday Times Style in June 2024.

Then, the “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” star described his relationship with Swift as “long, loving,” and “fully committed.”

Reflecting on the end of a significant relationship, Alwyn expressed, “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. That is a hard thing to navigate.”

The 33-year-old actor added, “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.”

Alwyn also shared that he and the “Blank Space” singer mutually decided to keep details of their relationship away from the public, and he saw no reason to change it despite rumors that Swift’s songs “So Long, London” and “loml” were about him.

He said, “I’m sure you can appreciate, given the level of noise and scrutiny about my past relationship, why I wouldn’t want to just open the door to things like that right now.”

Following their breakup, an insider told PEOPLEthey separated largely because of “differences in their personalities.”

According to the insider, the former lovebirds had experienced difficulties before but found a way to work things out. Hence, their friends thought they would get back together after some time apart.

However, the source noted that Alwyn and Swift “weren’t the right fit for one another.”

Since breaking up with each other, Swift and Alwyn have moved on to new relationships.

Swift, who dated Matt Healy soon after her split from Alwyn, is in a blossoming relationship with NFL and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. They started dating in the summer of 2023 and have made several public appearances together, with Swift a notable feature in Kelce’s home games.

Meanwhile, a source told PEOPLE in April 2024 that Alwyn was “doing well” and “focused on work,” before adding that the actor is “dating and happy.”

The insider added, “He’s a great guy and not into drama in any way.”

According to the source, Alwyn was in love with Swift but their relationship “just didn’t work out.”