After getting the rights to her music back, Taylor Swift released updated versions ("Taylor's version") of several of her previous albums. The re-recorded music is said to be what she always envisioned for her work but was unable to produce due to lack of creative control.
Swifties everywhere loved the new music, and were particularly drawn to a ten minute long music video for her song, All Too Well. They were reminded of Swift's relationship with actor Jake Gyllenhaal and speculate that he is who the song is really about.
Some of the details in the song line up with Swift and Gyllenhaal's relationship, with one line being about an age difference in lovers. Swift and Gyllenhaal are nine years apart, so fans were quick to jump on him, claiming Swift was slamming him for their shared past. He's since been the butt of many social media jokes and the biggest villain in the eyes of Swift's audience.
The Spiderman: Far From Home actor had yet to give his thoughts on the situation, until he recently sat down for an interview with Esquire, where he finally opened up about his ex. While he hasn't been negatively affected by the attention, he claims that Swift has a responsibility to control her fans.
He stated,
“At some point, I think it’s important when supporters get unruly that we feel a responsibility to have them be civil and not allow for cyberbullying in one’s name."
Gyllenhaal did not mention Swift by name initially, and claims his comments are “not about any individual" but believes that this is instead “a conversation that allows us to examine how we should take responsibility for what we put into the world.”
He added,
“We see that in politics. There’s anger and divisiveness, and it’s literally life-threatening in the extreme. My question is: Is this our future? Is anger and divisiveness our future? Or can we be empowered and empower others while simultaneously putting empathy and civility into the dominant conversation? That’s the discussion we should be having.”
When the interviewer asked about Swift specifically, and the infamous All Too Well music video, Gyllenhaal finally gave his thoughts. He reportedly hasn't listened to the song, and doesn't even believe it's about him, claiming,
“It has nothing to do with me. It’s about her relationship with her fans. It is her expression. Artists tap into personal experiences for inspiration, and I don’t begrudge anyone that. I’m not unaware that there’s interest in my life."
Gyllenhaal has been in a relationship since 2018, and says his family and girlfriend, model Jeanne Cadieu, are what make his life "truly wonderful."
