It has almost been a year since Joe Alwyn and Taylor Swift called it quits last April and set into motion what is now known as the year of celebrity breakups. The year later claimed more victims like former couples Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner and Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello.
So much has happened since then for Swift, including a brief fling with Matty Healy and her real-life rom-com with current boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Just last week, Kelce and Swift made our High School Musical dreams come true as they shared a kiss after the Super Bowl, where the Chiefs emerged victorious in a nail biter game.
But since the Swift/Alwyn breakup, little has been heard about Alwyn. The actor has always been private about his personal life, and as a result his relationship with Swift was also kept behind closed doors. At last, though, Alwyn broke his silence with a photo dump on his Instagram yesterday after five long months of silence.
The photo carousel had no caption, yet seemed to start a conversation; at the very least, he appeared to aim to update fans about his life lately.
Photos included a shot of the actor snapping a photo of himself in the mirror, Alwyn photobombing Brian Cox at a pre-BAFTA party, a throwback to his childhood, and more.
One photo was a meme from the U.K.'s The Office, with Ricky Gervais' character saying, "Different drinks for different needs."
One can't help but wonder whether this sudden emergence is connected to Swift's announcement of her upcoming album, The Tortured Poet’s Department, which will come out on April 19. Many have linked the album's title to Alwyn's group chat with fellow British actors Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott called "The Tortured Man Club."
Can we expect a breakup album at last from Swift, who has always been emotionally honest in her work?
The track list has been released and includes a song called, "So Long, London," which many view as a nod to the time spent in this city over the course of her six-year relationship with Alwyn.
This is also a stark contrast to her song "London Boy" on her 2019 album Lover, which was known to be inspired by Alwyn.
One fan expressed a similar thought and posted on X, "I've seen more Joe Alwyn since the TTPD [The Tortured Poets Department] announcement than in his six years being with Taylor and that says a lot I think."
Another user considered it a direct challenge to Swift: "Y'all did Joe Alwyn just send a 'bring it on I'm not afraid' message to Taylor??? Look at his most recent post. The filter, the meme, the scenery...it's so yoyok ["You're On Your Own Kid"] and the lakes coded, like bro. Wtf???"
Some fans seem in favor of his sudden reappearance, like one X user who wrote "Joe Alwyn coming out of his Instagram hiatus to post a carousel of memes and sepia toned photos. Gotta love an unbothered king."
