EXCLUSIVE: Taylor Swift's Ex Joe Alwyn Wanted to Meet With Pop Star to 'Clear the Air' Before Her Wedding to NFL Star Travis Kelce
Joe Alwyn and Taylor Swift split in 2023.
Oct. 5 2026, Updated 2:55 p.m. ET
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are Mr. and Mrs., but before they said "I do," she had a private, six-year romance with actor Joe Alwyn.
Three months after her lavish ceremony at Madison Square Garden in New York City, RadarOnline.com revisits her past relationship with Alwyn, 35.
Inside Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn's Relationship and Breakup
Joe Alwyn and Taylor Swift reportedly met in 2016.
The pop star is believed to have met Alwyn at the 2016 Met Gala.
A year later, rumors swirled that they were dating after paparazzi photographed the pair at events together several times – including a December 2017 Ed Sheeran concert where they were spotted packing on the PDA.
Over the years, the couple famously kept their relationship largely out of the spotlight, and Alwyn often sidestepped questions about it in interviews. Although rumors of their engagement popped up over the years, they never married.
In April 2023, it was reported that Swift and Alwyn had officially split.
Taylor Swift Meets Travis Kelce
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce reportedly began dating in mid 2023.
Several months after their breakup, Swift and Kelce's love story began. In mid-2023, Kelce attended a show for the singer's Eras Tour and secretly planned to give her a friendship bracelet after the concert.
That September, dating rumors sparked after she was seen watching a Chiefs game next to the pro NFL player's mother, Donna.
In August 2025, Swift and Kelce announced their engagement via Instagram.
Joe Alwyn Wanted to 'Clear the Air' With Taylor Swift, Source Claims
Joe Alwyn wanted to 'resolve some lingering issues' with Taylor Swift, according to a source.
However, several months before the announcement, a source claimed Alwyn hoped to meet with Swift to "clear the air" and "find some closure."
"Joe wants to resolve some lingering issues and finally shut the door on the past," added the source at the time. "He just wants to get a better understanding of why it didn’t work out between them."
However, Kelce allegedly pushed back at the request and Swift wasn't in a hurry to meet up with her ex, according to the source.
"She expressed her feelings in her album and got a lot out of her system, and she just thinks it’s better to keep distance from exes," the source explained. "Taylor’s happy with Travis, and a lot of her friends think it would be too painful to see Joe again. She wishes him well, but she doesn’t want to see him."
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Get Married in NYC
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Taylor Swift married Travis Kelce in a luxurious wedding ceremony at Madison Square Garden.
On Friday, July 3, the Lavender Haze artist tied the knot with the former Kansas City Chiefs tight end after roughly three years of dating.
While they kept most of the details of the wedding private, they welcomed a number of A-list guests, including Selena Gomez, Jack Antonoff, Gigi Hadid, the Haim sisters, Brad Pitt, Hugh Grant, Jennifer Lopez, Tom Cruise, Reese Witherspoon, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Paul McCartney, Gwen Stefani, and Blake Shelton.
"It was the best night of my life," Kelce, who turned 37 on October 5, said in an interview with ESPN's Chris Berman. "Marrying Taylor was more than I could have ever dreamed it to be because of all the people that showed up, and the amount of, you know, love that was in the air."
