Joe Alwyn appeared briefly in Miss Americana, the 2020 documentary about his then-girlfriend Taylor Swift. Now, four years later, the film’s director reveals why she didn’t feature him more.
Taylor Swift ex Joe Alwyn and their past love story did not get much screen time in the 2020 documentary about the singer’s life.
And, four years later, Miss Americana director Lana Wilson revealed why.
“Because her relationships have been through the microscope, I didn’t really have any interest in filming that,” she said at a Nov. 23 screening of the film at New York City’s Museum of the Moving Image, per the Daily Mail. “She’s been through so much, this should be private, it’s not related to the themes in the film or what I thought she was going through right then.”
As such, Alwyn—whom Swift dated from 2016 to early 2023—is largely absent from the story.
“I thought she was going through something so profound and powerful, this real change that didn’t really have anything to do with her relationships,” Wilson continued, “so it was never something I wanted to film, actually. It felt disrespectful and weird to me.”
However, that’s not to say the Conversations with Friends star doesn’t make any appearances. Alwyn pops up in the middle of the documentary, in a scene that sees Swift running backstage after a performance and into his arms. Their embrace is also featured in the film’s trailer.
Also in the documentary, the “Cruel Summer” singer also reflected on her dating life during a hiatus from the spotlight after 2016, noting, “I was also falling in love with someone who had a really wonderfully normal, balanced, grounded life.”
Matt Winkelmeyer / Staff & Jon Kopaloff / Stringer (Getty Images)
Swift and Alwyn largely kept their six-year relationship private and never walked a red carpet together. The only joint appearance the Grammy winner and actor ever made at a celebrity event was inside the 2020 Golden Globes.
“As everyone knows, we together—both of us, mutually—decided to keep the more private details of our relationship private,” Alwyn told The Sunday Times in June. “It was never something to commodify and I see no reason to change that now.”
Swift has since moved on with boyfriend Travis Kelce, who she has been dating for more than a year.
While they have also never made a joint red carpet appearance, the two have shown a lot of public support for one another, as the NFL star has been to several of her Eras Tour concerts and she has equally cheered him on at his football games. In fact, they even put on some sweet PDA when the Kansas City Chiefs won the 2024 Super Bowl.
Look back at their romance…
Fernando Leon/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
July 2023: So, Make the Friendship Bracelets
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s love story began in July 2023, when the singer’s Eras Tour made a stop at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
As a huge Swiftie, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end caught the show with hopes of giving Taylor a friendship bracelet with his number on it. However, he failed to complete the pass due to her pre-show rituals.
“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings,” Travis shared on the July 26 episode of his New Heights podcast. “So, I was a little butt-hurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her.”
JC Olivera/Getty Images
Summer 2023: This Is Him Trying
After publicly recounting his fumble—a move Taylor would later describe as “metal as hell”—Travis decided to shoot his shot and invite the Grammy winner to watch the Chiefs play at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I threw it out there, I threw the ball in her court,” he shared on The Pat McAfee Show. “I told her, you know, ‘I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead and see which one’s a little more lit.’ So, we’ll see what happens in the near future.”
Michael Owens/Getty Images
August 2023: Enchanted to Meet You
Travis was rocking a mustache—which he debuted in August during training camp—when he was first introduced to Taylor.
As he later noted of the era, “That ‘stache and the 87 jersey was pretty iconic there for a little bit, and I had it when I met Taylor for the first time.”
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Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy / David Eulitt/Getty Images
September 2023: Sparks Fly
By early September, a source close to the situation told E! News that Travis and Taylor were “texting and talking here and there.”
“It’s been very low-key,” the insider explained, “as he’s been in season.”
Cooper Neill/Getty Images
September 2023: Cheer Captain
Accepting Travis’ invite, Taylor joined the athlete’s mom Donna Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium to watch him and the Chiefs take on the Chicago Bears. After the game, Taylor and Travis were seen packing PDA at a local bar.
Though folklore had it that it was the couple’s first in-person meeting, the “Karma” singer later clarified the two had spent a “significant amount of time” getting to know each other beforehand.
As Taylor noted, “We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.”
Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
October 2023: Team Up
As an indication that the relationship was heating up, Taylor brought her squad—including friends Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Sophie Turner, Hugh Jackman, Sabrina Carpenter and Antoni Porowski—to watch the Chiefs play against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
David Eulitt/Getty Images
October 2023: It’s Nice to Have a Friend
Another sign that Travis could be The 1? Taylor started bonding with Brittany Mahomes—the wife of Travis’ BFF and teammate Patrick Mahomes—in and outside of NFL games.
Gotham/GC Images
October 2023: Welcome to New York
The couple took their romance to TV, making a surprise appearance on the Oct. 14 episode of Saturday Night Live. Their Big Apple takeover also included the after-party for the NBC sketch show and a date night at the Waverly Inn.
Marcelo Endelli/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
November 2023: Karma Is Her Boyfriend
During a bye week, Travis traveled down to Argentina to catch the South American leg of Taylor’s Eras Tour. Not only did the NFL star bond with Taylor’s dad, Scott Swift, at the Nov. 11 show in Buenos Aires, but he also got a special shoutout from the stage.
“Karma is that guy on the Chiefs,” Taylor sang, “coming straight home to me.”
After the show, the Midnights artist was seen running up to Travis backstage and greeting him with a passionate kiss.
Buda Mendes/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
December 2024: Speak Now
Taylor addressed the lavender craze surrounding her appearances at Travis’ games.
“I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care,” she told Time. “The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone.”
Kathryn Riley/Getty Images
December 2023: You, Who Charmed Her Dad
The music superstar turned Travis’ Dec. 17 game into a family affair, bringing her dad to cheer on her man.
Gotham/GC Images
January 2024: All the Midnights
Taylor and Travis spent their first New Year’s Eve together, sharing a romantic kiss when the clock struck midnight on Jan. 1.
Kathryn Riley / Contributor (Getty Images)
January 2024: Chosen Family
Continuing to bond with Travis’ family, Taylor hung out with his brother Jason Kelce and sister-in-law Kylie Kelce at the Chiefs’ game against the Buffalo Bills.
Patrick Smith/Getty Images
January 2024: Saved by the Perfect Kiss
Taylor joined Travis on the football field when the Chiefs won the AFC Championship, a victory that cemented the team’s spot in the 2024 Super Bowl. The couple shared a celebratory kiss before exchanging the L-word.
“Tay, I’m gonna enjoy with the guys,” he told her. “I love you—so much it’s not funny.”
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
February 2024: Super Bowl Champs
The pair locked lips on the field after Travis led the Kansas City Chiefs to victory on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas.
TikTok
February 2024: TikTok Official
Taylor posted footage of Travis on social media for the first time Feb. 12, poking fun at how she took her parents clubbing with the athlete after the Super Bowl.
Instagram / Taylor Swift
June 2024: Instagram Official
Taylor’s first Instagram pic featuring Travis was a selfie of the two with Prince William and his and wife Kate Middleton‘s eldest kids Prince George and Princess Charlotte backstage at the singer’s Eras tour show at Wembley Stadium in London.
Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
June 2024: Travis’ Eras Tour Stage Debut
While attending his seventh Eras tour concert, and second show at London’s Wembley Stadium, the NFL star joined his girlfriend onstage as a backup performer during her performance of “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”
Instagram
September 2024: Back in the Game
Taylor joined Travis for the Chief’s first game of the regular 2024-25 season and appeared to re-enact a PDA moment from October 2023 in this photo shared by Chariah Gordon, who is pictured with her boyfriend, Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman.
Janet Mayer / Splash by Shutterstock
September 2024: Wedding Date
The two attended model Karen Elson‘s wedding to Electric Lady Studios owner Lee Foster in New York City.
Sarah Stier/Getty Images
September 2024: U.S. Open Date
The next day, the pair attended the men’s singles final match at the U.S. Open.
XNY/Star Max/GC Images
October 2024: Double Date
The two stepped out for a double dinner date with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in NYC.
Taylor Swift ex Joe Alwyn and their past love story did not get much screen time in the 2020 documentary about the singer’s life.
And, four years later, Miss Americana director Lana Wilson revealed why.
“Because her relationships have been through the microscope, I didn’t really have any interest in filming that,” she said at a Nov. 23 screening of the film at New York City’s Museum of the Moving Image, per the Daily Mail. “She’s been through so much, this should be private, it’s not related to the themes in the film or what I thought she was going through right then.”
As such, Alwyn—whom Swift dated from 2016 to early 2023—is largely absent from the story.
“I thought she was going through something so profound and powerful, this real change that didn’t really have anything to do with her relationships,” Wilson continued, “so it was never something I wanted to film, actually. It felt disrespectful and weird to me.”
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However, that’s not to say the Conversations with Friends star doesn’t make any appearances. Alwyn pops up in the middle of the documentary, in a scene that sees Swift running backstage after a performance and into his arms. Their embrace is also featured in the film’s trailer.
Also in the documentary, the “Cruel Summer” singer also reflected on her dating life during a hiatus from the spotlight after 2016, noting, “I was also falling in love with someone who had a really wonderfully normal, balanced, grounded life.”
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Matt Winkelmeyer / Staff & Jon Kopaloff / Stringer (Getty Images)
Swift and Alwyn largely kept their six-year relationship private and never walked a red carpet together. The only joint appearance the Grammy winner and actor ever made at a celebrity event was inside the 2020 Golden Globes.
“As everyone knows, we together—both of us, mutually—decided to keep the more private details of our relationship private,” Alwyn told The Sunday Times in June. “It was never something to commodify and I see no reason to change that now.”
Swift has since moved on with boyfriend Travis Kelce, who she has been dating for more than a year.
While they have also never made a joint red carpet appearance, the two have shown a lot of public support for one another, as the NFL star has been to several of her Eras Tour concerts and she has equally cheered him on at his football games. In fact, they even put on some sweet PDA when the Kansas City Chiefs won the 2024 Super Bowl.
Look back at their romance…
Fernando Leon/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
July 2023: So, Make the Friendship Bracelets
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s love story began in July 2023, when the singer’s Eras Tour made a stop at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
As a huge Swiftie, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end caught the show with hopes of giving Taylor a friendship bracelet with his number on it. However, he failed to complete the pass due to her pre-show rituals.
“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings,” Travis shared on the July 26 episode of his New Heights podcast. “So, I was a little butt-hurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her.”
JC Olivera/Getty Images
Summer 2023: This Is Him Trying
After publicly recounting his fumble—a move Taylor would later describe as “metal as hell”—Travis decided to shoot his shot and invite the Grammy winner to watch the Chiefs play at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I threw it out there, I threw the ball in her court,” he shared on The Pat McAfee Show. “I told her, you know, ‘I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead and see which one’s a little more lit.’ So, we’ll see what happens in the near future.”
Michael Owens/Getty Images
August 2023: Enchanted to Meet You
Travis was rocking a mustache—which he debuted in August during training camp—when he was first introduced to Taylor.
As he later noted of the era, “That ‘stache and the 87 jersey was pretty iconic there for a little bit, and I had it when I met Taylor for the first time.”
by Taboola
Promoted Links
E! News
Amber Heard Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby No. 2
McMaster
Study and work in Canada
E! News
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E! News
LA Radio Host Robin Ayers Dead at 44
IC Markets
USDJPY đang đi lên không?
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy / David Eulitt/Getty Images
September 2023: Sparks Fly
By early September, a source close to the situation told E! News that Travis and Taylor were “texting and talking here and there.”
“It’s been very low-key,” the insider explained, “as he’s been in season.”
Cooper Neill/Getty Images
September 2023: Cheer Captain
Accepting Travis’ invite, Taylor joined the athlete’s mom Donna Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium to watch him and the Chiefs take on the Chicago Bears. After the game, Taylor and Travis were seen packing PDA at a local bar.
Though folklore had it that it was the couple’s first in-person meeting, the “Karma” singer later clarified the two had spent a “significant amount of time” getting to know each other beforehand.
As Taylor noted, “We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.”
Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
October 2023: Team Up
As an indication that the relationship was heating up, Taylor brought her squad—including friends Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Sophie Turner, Hugh Jackman, Sabrina Carpenter and Antoni Porowski—to watch the Chiefs play against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
David Eulitt/Getty Images
October 2023: It’s Nice to Have a Friend
Another sign that Travis could be The 1? Taylor started bonding with Brittany Mahomes—the wife of Travis’ BFF and teammate Patrick Mahomes—in and outside of NFL games.
Gotham/GC Images
October 2023: Welcome to New York
The couple took their romance to TV, making a surprise appearance on the Oct. 14 episode of Saturday Night Live. Their Big Apple takeover also included the after-party for the NBC sketch show and a date night at the Waverly Inn.
Marcelo Endelli/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
November 2023: Karma Is Her Boyfriend
During a bye week, Travis traveled down to Argentina to catch the South American leg of Taylor’s Eras Tour. Not only did the NFL star bond with Taylor’s dad, Scott Swift, at the Nov. 11 show in Buenos Aires, but he also got a special shoutout from the stage.
“Karma is that guy on the Chiefs,” Taylor sang, “coming straight home to me.”
After the show, the Midnights artist was seen running up to Travis backstage and greeting him with a passionate kiss.
Buda Mendes/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
December 2024: Speak Now
Taylor addressed the lavender craze surrounding her appearances at Travis’ games.
Kathryn Riley/Getty Images
December 2023: You, Who Charmed Her Dad
The music superstar turned Travis’ Dec. 17 game into a family affair, bringing her dad to cheer on her man.
Gotham/GC Images
January 2024: All the Midnights
Taylor and Travis spent their first New Year’s Eve together, sharing a romantic kiss when the clock struck midnight on Jan. 1.
Kathryn Riley / Contributor (Getty Images)
January 2024: Chosen Family
Continuing to bond with Travis’ family, Taylor hung out with his brother Jason Kelce and sister-in-law Kylie Kelce at the Chiefs’ game against the Buffalo Bills.
Patrick Smith/Getty Images
January 2024: Saved by the Perfect Kiss
Taylor joined Travis on the football field when the Chiefs won the AFC Championship, a victory that cemented the team’s spot in the 2024 Super Bowl. The couple shared a celebratory kiss before exchanging the L-word.
“Tay, I’m gonna enjoy with the guys,” he told her. “I love you—so much it’s not funny.”
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
February 2024: Super Bowl Champs
The pair locked lips on the field after Travis led the Kansas City Chiefs to victory on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas.
TikTok
February 2024: TikTok Official
Taylor posted footage of Travis on social media for the first time Feb. 12, poking fun at how she took her parents clubbing with the athlete after the Super Bowl.
Instagram / Taylor Swift
June 2024: Instagram Official
Taylor’s first Instagram pic featuring Travis was a selfie of the two with Prince William and his and wife Kate Middleton‘s eldest kids Prince George and Princess Charlotte backstage at the singer’s Eras tour show at Wembley Stadium in London.
Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
June 2024: Travis’ Eras Tour Stage Debut
While attending his seventh Eras tour concert, and second show at London’s Wembley Stadium, the NFL star joined his girlfriend onstage as a backup performer during her performance of “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”
Instagram
September 2024: Back in the Game
Taylor joined Travis for the Chief’s first game of the regular 2024-25 season and appeared to re-enact a PDA moment from October 2023 in this photo shared by Chariah Gordon, who is pictured with her boyfriend, Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman.
Janet Mayer / Splash by Shutterstock
September 2024: Wedding Date
The two attended model Karen Elson‘s wedding to Electric Lady Studios owner Lee Foster in New York City.
Sarah Stier/Getty Images
September 2024: U.S. Open Date
The next day, the pair attended the men’s singles final match at the U.S. Open.
XNY/Star Max/GC Images
October 2024: Double Date
The two stepped out for a double dinner date with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in NYC.
