Monica Schipper/Larry Busacca/Getty Images
Taylor Swift broke up with Tom Hiddleston after just three months of a whirlwind relationship, according to Us Weekly.
And it was Taylor's idea.
"She was the one to put the brakes on the relationship," one source told Us Weekly. "Tom wanted the relationship to be more public than she was comfortable with. Taylor knew the backlash that comes with public displays of affection but Tom didn't listen to her concerns when she brought them up."
The couple broke into the public view back in May, when British tabloid The Sun published 15 photos of the couple canoodling on a beach on Rhode Island. The photos followed the 2016 Met Gala, when the couple was spotted dancing together.
According to a Us Weekly source, Tom is "embarrassed that the relationship fizzled out." He wanted the relationship to be more public, and now it backfired.
The relationship is an odd one, and has had mixed reception among Swift's fans following the bizarre and somewhat messy breakup with her previous boyfriend, Calvin Harris. The source who said Tom is "embarrassed" might just be trying to cover for a failure on Swift's part.
The sheer strangeness of the relationship inspired conspiracy theories that the entire relationship was staged for the sake of a music video. Even the paparazzi shots of the two on the Rhode Island beach are suspicious. Hiddleston, who does not need to wear a shirt on the beach, did wear one. And the shirt said "I <3 T.S.," which is so ridiculous that it must be a stunt.
The couple has traveled to many locations in a short amount of time, and the timing is suspiciously perfect. Swift usually releases a new album every two years, and she's due for a new one. Meanwhile, Hiddleston's career is on an upswing. In addition to starring as Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he's had critically acclaimed turns this year in "High-Rise" and "The Night Manager," and he's in the running to be the next James Bond. A high-profile tabloid relationship would be mutually beneficial.
Subsequent details about their so-called relationship seemed to confirm the conspiracy theory. A few weeks after news of the so-called relationship broke, a 9NEWS reporter asked Hiddleston about it, and Hiddleston refused to answer. It was as if he signed a non-disclosure agreement.
Hiddleston, who is an actor - that is to say, a man whose career is built on deliberately lying to other people about himself - later said that the relationship was not a publicity stunt.
Around the same time, people started to notice a curious pattern of where Taylor and Tom were traveling, what they were wearing, and where they were photographed. Some of the places they were photographed was where Taylor had gone on dates with previous boyfriends. And on those occasions, she sometimes wore the same outfits. That all gave the patina that Hiddleswift was elaborately staged.
If the whole relationship was indeed a hoax, it looks like it's over. And if it was really just for a music video, hopefully we'll see it soon.