Joe Alwyn says he's private about his relationship with Taylor Swift to protect it from society's 'increasingly intrusive' culture

• Joe Alwyn explained his reluctance to speak publicly about his relationship with Taylor Swift.
• The actor told Elle UK that he wants to protect it from an "increasingly intrusive" culture.

Joe Alwyn explained his decision to keep details about his five-year relationship with Taylor Swift close to his chest during a recent interview with Elle UK.

Alwyn, 31, told the magazine that "it's not really" because he wants "to be guarded and private, it's more a response to something else."

"We live in a culture that is so increasingly intrusive," he continued. "The more you give — and frankly, even if you don't give it — something will be taken."

Swift previously explained she keeps the relationship private for a sense of 'normalcy'

The British actor, who is set to star in the forthcoming Hulu adaptation of Sally Rooney's 2017 novel "Conversations With Friends," has been romantically linked to Swift, 32, since 2016. The couple has kept their relationship off social media, away from red carpets, and, more or less, shielded from the public eye.

Maintaining privacy has required a conscious effort from both parties, Swift explained in her 2020 Rolling Stone "Musicians on Musicians" cover story with Paul McCartney.

"In knowing him and being in the relationship I am in now, I have definitely made decisions that have made my life feel more like a real life and less like just a storyline to be commented on in tabloids," the musician said then.

She continued, "Whether that's deciding where to live, who to hang out with, when to not take a picture — the idea of privacy feels so strange to try to explain, but it's really just trying to find bits of normalcy."

Though the "Reputation" singer remains secretive about her relationship, traces of Alwyn have appeared throughout her music. Fans speculated that the "Boy Erased" actor inspired lyrics for several "Lover" tracks, and he co-authored songs on her "Folklore" and "Evermore" albums although he's credited under the pseudonym William Bowery, Swift later confirmed.

In February, Alwyn confirmed that he and Swift are still together, and they're still very happy.

While discussing open relationships during a media presentation, a topic at the center of the Rooney adaptation, the actor reportedly said having more than one partner "seems exhausting," according to Deadline.

"I think people can do what they want and makes them happy," he told the press, adding, "I'm obviously happy in a monogamous relationship."