Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn were famously private about their romance. After getting together in 2017, the couple kept their relationship strictly out of the spotlight. Even though they spent six years together, they never walked a joint red carpet… or even posted an Instagram pic. But it seems like that quiet Lover<\/em> era might sadly be over.<\/p>\n Only six months after Swift released Midnights <\/em>(with love songs<\/a> like \u201cLavender Haze\u201d and \u201cSweet Nothing\u201d), reports emerged that Swift and Alwyn had ended things. On April 8, Entertainment Tonight <\/em>reported that the couple\u2019s split was \u201cnot dramatic,\u201d<\/a> and their exclusive was quickly picked up by other outlets.<\/p>\n The rumors came as a major shock to Swifties, especially considering how loved-up Swift seemed while promoting her new album in October. Explaining her song \u201cLavender Haze\u201d on Instagram, Swift said that she picked up the popular \u201950s phrase from watching Mad Men. <\/em>\u201cIf you were in the lavender haze<\/a>, then that meant that you were in that all-encompassing love glow, and I thought that was really beautiful,\u201d she explained, before clarifying that\u2019s how she felt with her Alwyn. (Plus, according to People<\/em>, the duo was \u201ctalking about marriage<\/a> as recently as a few months ago.\u201d)<\/p>\n So, um, how could that deep love turn into an amicable breakup in less than a year? There\u2019s no way to know for sure, but a look back on Swift and Alwyn\u2019s extremely private relationship history gives some much-needed context to their reported split.<\/p>\n May 2016: Taylor And Joe Met At The Met Gala<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Swift and Alwyn met at the 2016 Met Gala, while she was still seeing Tom Hiddleston. In her 2017 song \u201cDress,\u201d she sang about the moment. \u201cFlashback when you met me \/ Your buzzcut and my hair bleached,\u201d the lyrics read.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n May 2017: Romance Rumors About Them Began<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Swift and Alwyn\u2019s relationship<\/a> reportedly started in 2017, with outlets beginning to report on the new couple that May. According to People<\/em>, the two had been seeing each other for a couple of months before anyone knew.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n May 2018: Taylor And Joe Seemingly Confirmed Their Relationship On Instagram<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Swift and Alwyn never officially posted photos together on Instagram, but in May 2018, they did hint at their relationship with matching solo photos<\/a> next to a cactus. Fortunately, it seemed like only the foliage was feeling prickly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n September 2018: Joe Explained Why They Kept Things Private<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Alwyn and Swift rarely shared details of their romance, and the actor explained why during a September 2018 conversation with Total Film<\/em>. \u201cFor me, I just don\u2019t feel it\u2019s something I want to offer up to be picked apart by people<\/a> who don\u2019t know about it, and it\u2019s just not theirs to have,\u201d he said, per People<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n August 2019: Taylor Released Lover<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n In August 2018, Swift released her album Lover<\/em>, featuring many songs that were presumably about Alwyn \u2014 including \u201cLover,\u201d \u201cLondon Boy,\u201d and \u201cCall It What You Want.\u201d Though she never mentioned him by name, the songs said plenty, hinting at a really serious connection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n January 2020: Joe Appeared In Miss Americana<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Taylor](\"https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/getty\/2022\/10\/11\/84de753b-72d4-45c6-ab79-89dd4f97c466-getty-528406914.jpg?w=760&h=528&fit=crop&crop=faces&auto=format%2Ccompress)
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