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Swifties have been flooding social media with unverified rumors and viral fan theories in response to Taylor Swift's reported breakup with Joe Alwyn

Swifties have been flooding social media with unverified rumors and viral fan theories in response to Taylor Swift's reported breakup with Joe Alwyn

Charissa Cheong

Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn have reportedly broken up after six years together.Jackson Lee/Getty Images.

On April 8, Entertainment Tonight first reported that Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn had broken up.
Initially, fans responded with disbelief, speculating that the reports might not be true.

Reports of Taylor Swift's break up with Joe Alwyn blew up over the weekend.

Swift and Alwyn had reportedly been dating for six years. Omar Vega/TAS23/Getty Images.

Reports that Taylor Swift had broken up with her long-term boyfriend Joe Alwyn rocked the singer's fanbase — known as the Swifties — when they surfaced on April 9.

Initially, fans responded with complete disbelief, refusing to acknowledge that the reports might be true, and choosing to believe that Swift and Alwyn were still going strong, largely based on unverified rumors.

As more reports were released by various media outlets, Swifties have rallied to publicly grieve the reported end of the pair's six-year relationship, as resurfaced footage and theories about the two celebrities have gone viral on social media.

Representatives for Taylor Swift have not responded to Insider's request for comment regarding the reports of the breakup.

The first fan theory to spread was that the couple is actually still together.

@gracie.swift.ae YAYY @Taylor Swift @Taylor Nation #taylorswift #joealwyn #taylorswiftandjoealwyn #taylorandjoe #taylorandjoebreakup #taylorandjoealwyn #joealwynandtaylorswift #joealwyntaylorswift ♬ As It Was (Sped Up) - Milky Chance

An exclusive report by People magazine helped bust some of the rumors that they were still together.

@thickbrunette66 #peoplemag elaborates on the #taylorswift and #joealwyn breakup, stating that the couple grew apart and joe couldnt deal with her fame. #pagesix ♬ original sound - michelle

Fans began to respond with full-on heartbreak for Swift as they processed the reports.

@agapelikethelove no one is the bad guy here, life just sucks #taylorswift #fyp #taylorswiftjoealwyn #taylorswiftjoealwaysbreakup #reputationalbum #taylorswiftbreakup #theerastour #midnights #lover #reputation #swiftok #swiftietok #swiftietiktok #blackswiftie ♬ Cornelia Street - Claire ⭑

New theories about Swift's previous music releases flooded social media, as fans speculated that the lyrics were about her relationship struggles.

@midnightayswift We can’t deny that Joe kept Taylor compagny through these years and he gave all his support to our Tay… #taylorswift #fyp #joealwyn #breakup #taylorsversion #swiftie #swifttok ♬ son original - Taylor’s Version ✨

Some fans have theorized that Swift was crying about the breakup at one of her concerts.

—dee (@taylorsdxylight) April 8, 2023

On April 10, several mainstream news outlets reported that Swift was spotted in tears in footage of her performing, which was purportedly filmed during a concert in Glendale, Arizona, on March 17.

The clip did the rounds on Twitter and TikTok in the days after reports of the breakup emerged, as fans speculated that Swift might have been crying about the split at the time, since unnamed sources told People and CNN that the breakup took place a few weeks before it was first reported.

"She's there making other people happy but we didn't know why she's emotional," wrote one TikTok user, while others speculated that she could have been crying for a number of other reasons, such as feeling overwhelmed by her fans, or getting too emotionally invested in the lyrics as she was performing.

Swift and Alwyn's relationship has long been a source of fan theories.

Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn attended a BAFTA party together in 2019. GOR/GC Images

Swift's lyrics, which are famous for containing hidden clues about her life that fans eagerly dissect, have long been a source of speculation about her relationship with Alwyn.

Fans have speculated that a lyric in Swift's 2017 song "Dress," which says, "Flashback when you met me / Your buzzcut and my hair bleached," references Alwyn's shaved head from around the time of the 2016 Met Gala, when they believe the pair first met.

Swift was in a relationship with Calvin Harris, who didn't attend the event, at the time, and the pair broke up a month later.

In May 2017, The Sun broke the news that Swift and Alwyn had been secretly dating for months, reporting that Swift had been using disguises to avoid being detected while walking in public with him.

The couple appears to have tried to keep their relationship out of the public eye as much as possible, having made very few public appearances together, and having not posted any photos together on social media.

It appears that even following the reported breakup, fans aren't likely to stop speculating and theorizing about the couple's history.

Representatives for Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.