Although Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn‘s sudden split shocked Swifties everywhere, “some in Taylor’s inner circle aren’t so surprised by the breakup,” a source exclusively tells Life & Style. “They feel bad, but Taylor would never want anyone to feel sorry for [her], especially her fans.”

The “Love Story” artist, 33, has been performing in front of her dedicated fan base during “The Eras Tour,” which began on March 17. Being the professional that she is, Taylor hasn’t given fans a reason to think there was trouble in paradise for her and the Mary Queen of Scots actor, 32. 

“This is life. People break up all the time. She will survive,” the insider continues. “She doesn’t hate Joe. For now, though, it just hurts a lot.”

Taylor and Joe split several weeks before news of their breakup broke, multiple outlets reported on Saturday, April 8. Entertainment Tonight was the first to report the news. 

Reps for Taylor and Joe did not immediately respond to Life & Style’s request for comment at the time. 

Taylor Joe Split
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The “Lover” artist and the Catherine Called Birdy star began dating in 2016, and notably kept their relationship out of the public eye. Even during rare appearances, the former couple made it a point to keep their romance to themselves. However, Joe was featured in Taylor’s 2020 Netflix documentary, Miss Americana, in one scene that showed the Pennsylvania native running up to the English actor for a sweet embrace after a concert. 

Five years into their relationship, multiple sources told Life & Style in February 2022 that the duo were engaged. While they never publicly confirmed the proposal, Joe played it coy during an April 2022 interview with WSJ Magazine

“If I had a pound for every time I think I’ve been told I’ve been engaged, then I’d have a lot of pound coins,” the University of Bristol graduate told the publication. “I mean, the truth is, if the answer was yes, I wouldn’t say, and if the answer was no, I wouldn’t say. … We live in a culture that people expect so much to be given.” 

For her part, however, Taylor seemed a little more willing to open up about their relationship. Fans recall how she gushed about her then-beau while accepting the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2021. 

“Joe, who is the first person that I sing every single song that I write, and I had the best time writing songs with you in quarantine,” the “Anti-Hero” songstress said at the time.  

More recently, while gearing up for the release of her 2022 album, Midnights, Taylor explained the reason why she and Joe wanted to maintain their privacy when it came to their love life together. 

“I think a lot of people have to deal with this now, not just like ‘public figures’ because we live in the era of social media, and if the world finds out that you’re in love with somebody, they’re going to weigh in on it,” she explained in an October 2022 Instagram video while discussing the meaning behind her “Lavender Haze” single. “Like my relationship for six years, we’ve had to dodge weird rumors, tabloid stuff, and we just ignore it. So, this song is about ignoring that stuff to protect the real stuff. I hope you guys like it.”