It's a love story, baby just say yes. &nbsp;

<a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/music/taylor-swift-tour-best-fashion-looks-style" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Taylor Swift</a> and Joe Alwyn's romance is one that remains shrouded in mystery. From fan conspiracy theories to engagement rumours, there's so much that the public doesn't know about their relationship. It's a big change from Swift's previously public relationships with <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/culture/jennifer-aniston-and-harry-styles-are-living-a-romance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Harry Styles</a>, Calvin Harris, and Tom Hiddleston, which were filled with paparazzi photo ops, tabloid stories, Instagram posts, and more.&nbsp;
That isn't the case for <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/music/every-taylor-swift-album-era-style" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swift</a> and Alwyn, who have chosen to keep their relationship out of the limelight and just for them. Though the most recent information about the couple points to the end of their relationship, the couple was for more than half a decade after first being linked in 2016, making it Swift's longest relationship yet. After a few years of dating, the pair started to become a bit more open about their love, making occasional public appearances together and sharing tidbits of their life at home. From secret dates to songwriting collaborations, Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn were one of our favorite couples of the 2010s. However, with information regarding their recent breakup, L'OFFICIEL&nbsp;breaks down the timeline for this mysterious love story.

May 2, 2016: Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn cross paths at the 2016 Met Gala.

While it's unclear when Swift and Alwyn initially crossed paths, fans speculate that they were introduced to one another at the 2016 <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/art/met-gala-2023-details-karl-lagerfeld-theme-hosts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Met Gala</a> due to the lyrics on her song "Dress" where she sings: &ldquo;Flashback when you met me / Your buzz cut and my hair bleached.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Swift was dating Calvin Harris at the time, with whom she broke up shortly after the gala. She then entered a semi-public relationship with Tom Hiddleston until September 2016.&nbsp;

October 12, 2016: Swift and Alwyn attend a private Kings of Leon concert together.&nbsp;

A month after her breakup with Hiddleston was announced, Swift attended a private Kings of Leon show with her friends in New York City. Fans later pointed out that Alwyn was also at the show, as he was spotted on camera walking into the Bowery Hotel's after-party on the same night.&nbsp;

November 12, 2016: Swift attends Alwyn's movie screening.&nbsp;

Swift was <a href="https://www.justjared.com/2016/11/12/taylor-swift-catches-a-movie-screening-with-friends/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spotted</a> leaving the ArcLight theater in Los Angeles alongside her mom, Este and Alana Haim, and a couple of her other friends after a limited release screening of Alwyn's movie&nbsp;Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk.&nbsp;

January 3, 2017: Swift reveals she and Alwyn have been dating in secret for three months.&nbsp;

In promotion for her&nbsp;Lover&nbsp;album in 2019, Swift released four exclusive booklets that contained special journal entries. Included in the fourth version of the Lover journals included an excerpt from January 3, 2017, where she reveals that she and Alwyn have been dating secretly for three months.&nbsp;
"I get all scared about the future because so much has changed in the last year of my life," Swift writes. "I mean this time last year I was living in LA, getting ready for Grammys and now, I&rsquo;m essentially based in London, hiding out trying to protect us from the nasty world that just wants to ruin things. We have been together and no one has found out for 3 months now. I want it to stay that way because I don&rsquo;t want anything about this to change or become too complicated or intruded upon. But it&rsquo;s senseless to worry about someday not being happy when I am happy now. Ok. Breathe."

January 29, 2017: The couple spends time together on Stella McCartney's farm.&nbsp;

Alwyn posted a polaroid on Instagram that matched polaroids of Swift. It was later revealed that they are staying at Stella McCartney's farm in the UK.&nbsp;

May 16, 2017:&nbsp;The Sun&nbsp;reports that they have been dating for months.&nbsp;

After months of hiding from the media, a source close to the couple revealed to <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/3578336/taylor-swift-has-secret-brit-actor-boyfriend-joe-alwyn-and-the-pair-have-been-dating-for-months/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a>&nbsp;that Swift and Alwyn have been dating for a while and that their friends and family were aware of it.&nbsp;
A source told the publication, "Taylor and Joe are the real deal, this is a very serious relationship."
Swift had allegedly been renting a house in North London while she was seeing Alwyn and went on "great lengths to ensure her visits have remained unnoticed," according to&nbsp;The Sun. The source added: &ldquo;Taylor has flown in via private jets and her security has made it a military-like mission to prevent her from being seen.&rdquo;
Following the media frenzy over Swift and Hiddleston, the singer made a determined effort to keep her relationship quiet. The Sun reported, &ldquo;After her&nbsp;1989&nbsp;tour and all the attention Taylor received, she learned she had to be more protective of her personal life and she and Joe decided early on to keep their private life private.&rdquo;

June 5, 2017: First paparazzi shots in Nashville.

The couple was finally shot by paparazzi for the first time having coffee together on a balcony in Nashville. This trip was allegedly Alwyn's first time meeting Swift's parents.&nbsp;

October 11, 2017: Swift and Alwyn's little brother visit a fan's house.&nbsp;

Swift brings Alwyn's little brother Patrick along to a fan's house where they did an Instagram live stream, listened to the unreleased "King Of My Heart" track, and received some unreleased Reputation&nbsp;merch.&nbsp;

October 20, 2017: Swift confirms every love song she writes is about Alwyn.&nbsp;

Swift liked a <a href="https://befearlessandstaybeautiful.tumblr.com/post/166592974246/im-here-to-drop-some-tea-listen-up-and-listen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tumblr post</a> about how every love song on Reputation&nbsp;is about Alwyn, and every love song she writes from now on will be about him. Additionally, the singer hosted a "secret" listening party for the album where she confirmed to fans that "Gorgeous" is about her beau.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Basically Taylor made us all promise that if anyone made any accusations of who this song is about, we tell them it is 100 percent about her angel boyfriend of one year,&rdquo; a fan said on Tumblr. &ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t a secret. She wanted us to tell people."
Some of the lyrics in the song include:&nbsp;&ldquo;You should take it as a compliment / That I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk,&rdquo; about Alwyn's British accent. Swift also sings, &ldquo;And I got a boyfriend, he&rsquo;s older than us / He&rsquo;s in the club doing I don&rsquo;t know what," about Hiddleston, who is nine years older than Swift.&nbsp;

October 26, 2017: Ed Sheeran talks about Alwyn.&nbsp;

In an interview with <a href="https://www.etonline.com/ed-sheeran-praises-taylor-swifts-boyfriend-joe-alwyn-hes-really-good-dude-89926?linkId=43976761" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Capital Breakfast</a>, Ed Sheeran is asked about Alwyn. "He&rsquo;s really nice. Really, really friendly, really good dude," said Sheeran. "We&rsquo;re in touch, quite a fair bit, you know, and [Taylor&rsquo;s] been in London quite a bit as well.&rdquo;

December 8, 2017: The couple is seen arriving at her Tribeca apartment.

After her performance at Jingle Ball, Swift and Alwyn were <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-5162755/Taylor-Swift-boyfriend-Joe-Alwyn-hold-hands.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spotted</a> holding hands while arriving at her Tribeca apartment in New York City.&nbsp;

December 10, 2017: The couple dance together at Jingle Ball London.&nbsp;

Fans <a href="https://ew.com/music/2017/12/11/taylor-swift-joe-alwyn-ed-sheeran-jingle-bell-ball/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> their reactions to seeing Swift and Alwyn engaging in PDA among the crowd at Jingle Ball London during Ed Sheeran's set.
One fan, in particular, <a href="https://twitter.com/allltooswift/status/939983684551225346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpeopledotcom.wordpress.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>, &ldquo;THEY LITERALLY SLOW DANCED TO ALL EDS SONGS WITH THEIR ARMS AROUND ONE ANOTHER AND JUST KEPT LOOKING AT EACH OTHER AND KISSING.&rdquo;

December 31, 2017: Swift and Alwyn spend another New Year's Eve together.&nbsp;

The couple hosted a small New Year's Eve party in Los Angeles in contrast to the previous year. Some of the attendees included Jack Antonoff and Claire Winter.

Swift's song "New Year's Day" is also inspired by Alwyn. At the <a href="https://www.iheart.com/content/2017-11-10-taylor-swifts-iheartradio-reputation-release-party-everything-we-learned/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">iHeartRadio album release party</a> earlier in the year, she revealed, "We threw a big New Year&rsquo;s Eve party in London this year, and I was thinking about how everybody talks and thinks about who you kiss at midnight (...) And I think that is very romantic. But I think there&rsquo;s something even&nbsp;more&nbsp;romantic about who&rsquo;s gonna deal with you on New Year&rsquo;s Day. Who&rsquo;s willing to give you Advil and clean up the house? I think that states more of a permanence. So I was thinking about that, and I wrote this song called 'New Year&rsquo;s Day.'&rdquo;

March 7, 2018: The couple are seen hiking together in Malibu.&nbsp;

Swift and Alwyn were <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-5483475/Taylor-Swift-beau-Joe-Alwyn-hold-hands-Malibu-hike.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spotted</a> together for the first time in three months holding hands during a Malibu hike.&nbsp;&nbsp;

May 7, 2018: Swift and Alwyn post matching pictures on Instagram.&nbsp;

Both Swift and Alwyn posted coordinating pictures of themselves standing next to the same cactus. Alwyn later told <a href="https://www.etonline.com/joe-alwyn-opens-up-about-the-instagram-post-that-had-taylor-swift-fans-in-a-tizzy-111414" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ET Online</a> that it was not intentional.&nbsp;
"I didn't even think of that until I was in New York and someone else mentioned it," he said. "It wasn't purposeful at all!"

July 3, 2018: The couple are spotted together in Turks and Caicos.&nbsp;

The two lovebirds were <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-5935087/Taylor-Swift-Joe-Alwyn-enjoy-drinks-beach-romantic-vacation-Turks-Caicos.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spotted</a> enjoying drinks on the beach on a romantic getaway to Turks and Caicos.&nbsp;

September 19, 2018: Alwyn mentions he would like to keep his relationship private.&nbsp;

Alwyn spoke out about Swift publicly for the first time, but only to bring up how he would prefer his relationship to be private.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m aware people want to know about that side of things,&rdquo; the actor said to <a href="https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a23324784/taylor-swift-boyfriend-joe-alwyn-on-relationship-british-vogue/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">British Vogue</a>. &ldquo;I think we have been successfully very private and that has now sunk in for people&hellip;but I really prefer to talk about work.&rdquo;

September 28, 2018: Swift attends the NYFF premiere of Alwyn's movie&nbsp;The Favourite.

Swift joined Alwyn at the NYFF premiere of his film The Favourite&nbsp;and accompanies him to the after-party. September 28 is also allegedly the couple's anniversary.&nbsp;

November 22, 2018: Swift promotes Alwyn's movie on Instagram.&nbsp;

Swift posted clips of Alwyn's film The Favourite&nbsp;in promotion, calling the movie "phenomenal" and tagging both Alwyn and Nicholas Hoult in the caption.&nbsp;

December 7, 2018: Alwyn reveals a bit about their relationship.

In an <a href="https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a25133806/joe-alwyn-mary-queen-of-scots-interview-2018/&nbsp;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with&nbsp;Esquire, Alwyn opened up a bit after being asked if he sought out any guidance for his relationship, to which he responded that he didn't.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t seek out advice on that. Because I know what I feel about it," he said. "I think there&rsquo;s a very clear line as to what somebody should share, or feel like they have to share, and what they don&rsquo;t want to, and shouldn&rsquo;t have to.&rdquo;

December 11, 2018: Swift attends another one of Alwyn's movie premieres.

Swift was <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/taylor-swift-supports-boyfriend-joe-alwyn-with-secret-premiere-appearance-a4014586.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spotted</a> at the premiere of Alwyn's film Mary Queen of Scots&nbsp;in London.&nbsp;

December 30, 2018: Swift, Alwyn, and friends take a walk around West Village.

In a rare public appearance, Swift and Alwyn were <a href="https://www.justjaredjr.com/2018/12/30/taylor-swift-holds-hands-with-boyfriend-joe-alwyn-in-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spotted</a> holding hands walking around West Village with their British friends near the end of the year. The neighbourhood is also home to Swift's former Cornelia Street rental, which she wrote about in her 2019 album Lover.

February 10, 2019: Swift attends a BAFTAs afterparty with Alwyn.&nbsp;

Swift skipped out on the 2019 Grammys and instead joins Alwyn at a BAFTAs after-party. The duo was photographed holding hands and looking as glamorous as ever, with Swift channeling her inner Cinderella in a pale blue Stella McCartney gown.&nbsp;

The pair were also spotted earlier in the night after Swift snuck into a BAFTA dinner. According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz/taylor-swift-joe-alywn-bafta-16833029" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Star Online</a>, the singer was "determined to keep a low profile" as she skipped the main event and headed to an exclusive dinner at the Grosvenor Hotel.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Taylor and Joe were spent most of the evening in the middle of the room near the head table and based on table 68," an onlooker said to the&nbsp;Daily Star Online. "They were chatting to colleagues but Taylor didn&rsquo;t hide her affection towards Joe. She was seen caressing his back as they chatted away to a pal. It was clear they were an item but Taylor appeared conscious not to make a big deal about her appearance - she was just there for a good time rather than working like she would have to at the Grammys. Taylor didn&rsquo;t leave Joe&rsquo;s side all evening.&rdquo;
The article also reported that Swift took home two pottery rabbit table decorations to keep as mementos of the night.&nbsp;

March 2019: Engagement rumors begin to circulate

Rumors of Alwyn planning a proposal started to swirl as <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/taylor-swifts-pals-are-all-talking-when-joe-alwyn-will-propose/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Us Weekly&nbsp;reported</a> that Swift's closest friends are placing bets on when the couple will get engaged.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Taylor&rsquo;s friends are all talking about a proposal and how she really wants to marry Joe,&rdquo; said one of their sources. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s her dream guy.&rdquo; Another source echoed, &ldquo;Taylor really believes Joe is the one for her. She wants to get engaged to him. She just doesn&rsquo;t feel as though she has to impress anyone at this point.&rdquo;&nbsp;

May 24, 2019: The couple are spotted together in Paris.

The couple was spotted on an outing together in the City of Love itself, Paris. Photographs emerged of Swift and Alwyn holding hands as they took a stroll through the city after having breakfast at Caf&eacute; de Flore. Alwyn also posted a collection of photos that Swift took of him from the same trip.&nbsp;

August 2019: Swift releases Lover.

As Swift released her seventh studio album&nbsp;Lover, fans went deep into dissecting and theorizing the meanings behind many of her lyrics, even going as far as referencing the wedding imagery in the songs "Lover," "Paper Rings," and "It's Nice To Have A Friend" as Swift's way of hinting at a possible engagement (or even marriage).
In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDO6HnY7h24&amp;feature=emb_title" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Youtube Live</a> prior to the album release, Swift confirmed that the album referenced her current relationship. "It&rsquo;s a really romantic album, but it really celebrates love in all its complexity," she said. "Not just flowers and sunshine but the patchwork emotions that go into any love you feel.&rdquo;

Taylor Swift - Lover's Lounge (Live)

Despite the outpouring of love and romance the album itself displayed, Swift continued to remain tight-lipped about her relationship. In an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/aug/24/taylor-swift-pop-music-hunger-games-gladiators?CMP=twt_a-culture_b-gdnculture" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview with&nbsp;The Guardian</a>, the singer explained her reasoning behind why she chooses to keep it private.&nbsp;&ldquo;If you and I were having a glass of wine right now, we&rsquo;d be talking about it&mdash;but it&rsquo;s just that it goes out into the world," she said. "That&rsquo;s where the boundary is, and that&rsquo;s where my life has become manageable. I really want to keep it feeling manageable.&rdquo;

October 5, 2019: The couple are seen attending an SNL after party.&nbsp;

Swift performs "Lover" and "False God" on <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/taylor-swift-cements-her-new-reputation-on-snl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saturday Night Live</a> and Alwyn is in the audience supporting her. According to fans, the singer looked over at him several times during "Lover." After the show, the couple made their way to an intimate sushi dinner at Zuma with some of their friends, including Gigi Hadid, Martha Hunt, Antoni, and Jonathan Van Ness.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/inside-taylor-swift-joe-alwyns-date-night-with-gigi-hadid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Weekly&nbsp;reported</a> that the couple was "warm and intimate" with one another. &ldquo;They were definitely very cosy with each other," one source said. "Taylor was on Joe&rsquo;s arm the whole night and were definitely holding hands a bunch.&rdquo;&nbsp;
While Swift was sporting a sparkling gem that resembled an engagement ring, the ring was not worn on the singer's ring finger.&nbsp;

November 6, 2019: Alwyn speaks about being in a public relationship.&nbsp;

In an interview with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.etonline.com/joe-alwyn-is-ready-to-be-a-leading-man-on-his-own-terms-exclusive-135718" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ET Online</a>, Alwyn answered a question on how he deals with being in a relationship in the public eye. "I just don't really engage with anything that I don't want to engage with," the actor responded. "And so if there's any kind of extra noise about things that I'm not so interested in, I'll just turn it off. And so it just disappears, to a degree."

January 5, 2020: The couple attend the Golden Globes.

While the couple didn't walk the red carpet together, Swift and Alwyn both attended the 2020 Golden Globes and sat at the same table. Swift was a nominee and presenter for Best Original Song.

After the ceremony, the pair were spotted making appearances at multiple after-parties, including ones hosted by Amazon Studios and CAA. According to <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1108537/taylor-swift-and-joe-alwyn-are-the-chicest-couple-at-the-2020-golden-globes-after-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">E!</a>, the couple was unafraid of engaging in a little PDA. "They looked inseparable and really in love," a source said. "Taylor had her arm on Joe, and she leaned in to kiss him several times."

January 31, 2020:&nbsp;Miss Americana&nbsp;drops on Netflix.&nbsp;

The release of Swift's documentary&nbsp;Miss Americana&nbsp;gave fans a little insight into the couple's relationship. She explained how she was "falling in love with someone with a wonderfully normal, balanced kind of life," and that they both decided from the start to keep their relationship private following the aftermath of the singer's tarnished public image in 2016.&nbsp;
The documentary is filled with brief moments of PDA between the duo, including a shared warm embrace after a performance, Swift kissing Alwyn's hand during a car ride, and the singer serenading Alwyn with "Call It What You Want" from Reputation&nbsp;as he filmed.&nbsp;

Taylor Swift & Joe Alwyn Moments | Miss Americana Netflix-Movie

February 12, 2020: The couple attend the NME Awards.&nbsp;

Swift and Alwyn attended the NME Awards together right before Valentine's Day, and the duo were caught by audience members as they engage in some very sweet PDA.&nbsp;

July 24, 2020: Swift releases&nbsp;folklore.

For the most part, Swift and Alwyn appeared to have a relatively quiet quarantine, only coming on social media to post occasional pictures of their life indoors which consisted of a lot of wine, cooking, and cats.

After a few months of quiet quarantine, Swift surprise-released her eighth studio album Folklore. During the announcement of her album, the singer included William Bowery as a collaborator, which had fans speculating and theorizing that it was a pseudonym for Alwyn himself. Bowery was credited as co-writer on "Exile" and "Betty."

A Complete Timeline of Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn's Relationship

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