Jake Gyllenhaal Just Broke His Silence on Taylor Swift's 'All Too Well'—Find Out Why He Doesn't Think This Song Is About Him!
Jake Gyllenhaalhas been under the Swiftie microscope for years as one of her more famous-slash-infamous exes—and back in November 2021, that scrutiny only intensified after Taylor Swiftdropped an extended, 10-minute version of the breakup ballad fans know to be about him, "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" from her new Red (Taylor's Version) LP.
Gyllenhaal didn't offer up any comment at the time of the new release, but as of February 2022, the actor is finally speaking out about the public obsession with their ultimately doomed relationship.
Gyllenhaal has long been rumored to be the muse for what many Swift fans consider to be her autumnal magnum opus, and whenever any updates about the album or the track emerged throughout the promo cycle, his name trends among Swifties. Swift herself has leaned into the speculation, selling red scarves as part of her Red (Taylor's Version) merchandising initiatives and even dropping an "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" short film that she wrote and directed herself. Find out the full story of Jake Gyllenhaal and Taylor Swift's relationship, right down to the "All Too Well" scarf—and what Gyllenhaal finally has to say about it.
When did Jake Gyllenhaal and Taylor Swift date?
Swift and Gyllenhaal were first rumored to be an item in October 2010. After some on-again-off-again romance, the pair reportedly called it quits for good in early 2011.
How old was Taylor Swift when she dated Jake Gyllenhaal?
Swift and Gyllenhaal began dating when she was 19 and he was 28. When they broke up, she was 20 to his 29. The age difference matches that of Dylan O'Brienand Sadie Sink, who star in the short film for "All Too Well."
Related: Is a Taylor Swift Red Drink Coming to Starbucks? Here is Everything We Know
Is Taylor Swift's "All Too Well" about Jake Gyllenhaal?
Swift essentially confirmed Swifties' suspicions that "All Too Well" was about her romance with the Spider-Man: Far From Home star in the liner notes of Red's original release in 2012. In her signature hidden messages within the song's lyrics, it spells "MAPLE LATTES," which the couple was spottedenjoying more than once. Swift also mentions her muse's "sweet disposition," which is also the title of a song by Temper Trap, reportedly one of Gyllenhaal's favorite bands.
The singer previously told Rolling Stone of writing the song, "It was a day when I was just, like, a broken human, walking into rehearsal just feeling terrible about what was going on in my personal life … I just ended up playing four chords over and over again, and the band started kicking in. People just started playing along with me… I think they could tell I was really going through it. I just started singing and riffing and ad-libbing this song that basically was 'All Too Well.'"
The song started out at a whopping 10 minutes long, but Swift revealed she and co-writer Liz Rose were able to pare it down. The 10-minute version of the tune goes into much more detail about the relationship.
What does Taylor Swift say about Jake Gyllenhaal and a scarf in her "All Too Well" lyrics?
In her 2012 fan-favorite track "All Too Well" from Red, Swift sings about spending time with a boyfriend and leaving her scarf at his sister's home—and never getting it back.
"Left my scarf there at your sister's house / And you've still got it in your drawer even now," she sings in the first verse. In the song's beloved bridge, she wails rather presumptuously, "Now you mail back my things and I walk home alone / But you keep my old scarf from that very first week / 'Cause it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me."
In the 10-minute version, Swift drops hints about her and Gyllenhaal's age difference ("You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would have been fine" and "And I was never good at telling jokes, but the punch line goes / 'I'll get older, but your lovers stay my age"), as well as his New York City lifestyle ("from when your Brooklyn broke my skin and bones") and his allegedly missing her 21st birthday party. Swift turned 21 in December 2010, which tracks with the timing of their romance.
When was Jake Gyllenhaal seen wearing Taylor Swift's scarf?
Gyllenhaal was photographed wearing the same scarf as Swift in November 2010 when they were dating.
Is Taylor Swift "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" about Jake Gyllenhaal?
Swifties noticed that Swift's ex in the video for "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" wraps a scarf around her neck. She also rocks glasses in the video, and in "All Too Well" she sings, "You were a little kid with glasses in a twin-sized bed." Swifties went HAM on Gyllenhaal's Instagram in September 2020 when he posted a throwback photo of himself wearing glasses as a kid—and he quickly deleted the snap after they trolled him relentlessly with the lyric.
What has Jake Gyllenhaal said about Taylor Swift?
Gyllenhaal loathes discussing his love life, but he has said a few innocuous things about Swift.
During a 2015 interview with Howard Stern, Gyllenhaal said Swift was a "beautiful girl," but declined to comment further on their relationship.
In 2017, while promoting the film Stronger, in which he plays Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman (who lost his legs in the attack), an interviewer asked Gyllenhaal, "If you lost your legs in real life, do you think Taylor Swift would write a song about it? Like a country song?" Gyllenhaal replied, "She sort of moved more into pop now."
During an interview with The Guardianthe same year, he said, "I have a firm belief that I enter space with an open heart and a mind that's strong enough to protect it. I'm not necessarily guarded, but I consider intimacy to be very important and I don't think everybody needs to know about my family or my personal details. I'm old school in that way." He added, "I think when you're in a relationship, you are constantly scrutinized, your friends are scrutinized, but... I would love to not talk about my personal life."
In February 2022, Gyllenhaal vaguely addressed Swift's lyrics but denied having anything to do with them. "It's about her relationship with her fans. It is her expression. Artists tap into personal experiences for inspiration, and I don’t begrudge anyone that," the 41-year-old told Esquire. He added, without naming names, that artists should control their fanbases, noting, "At some point, I think it's important when supporters get unruly that we feel a responsibility to have them be civil and not allow for cyberbullying in one's name. That begs for a deeper philosophical question. Not about any individual, per se, but a conversation that allows us to examine how we can—or should, even—take responsibility for what we put into the world, our contributions into the world. Is this our future? Is anger and divisiveness our future? Or can we be empowered and empower others while simultaneously putting empathy and civility into the dominant conversation? That's the discussion we should be having."
Notably, Gyllenhaal has been in a relationship with model Jeanne Cadieu, 26, since 2018. When asked about how the attention Swift's music placed on him has affected him, he pointedly responded, "I'm not unaware that there's interest in my life. My life is wonderful. I have a relationship that is truly wonderful, and I have a family I love so much. And this whole period of time has made me realize that." He added of Cadieu, "In a lot of ways, we’re family. I’m in a relationship that is full of love and support. I feel so at ease."
Does Maggie Gyllenhaal still have Taylor Swift's scarf?
In a September 2017 episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Maggie Gyllenhaal admitted that she had no idea what all the fuss was about.
"I never understood why everybody asked me about this scarf," a baffled Maggie said. "What is this?"
When host Andy Cohen explained the origins of the scarf lyric and that Swift sang that she left her scarf at Maggie's home and inquired if it was still there, Maggie was still nonplussed and confused.
"I am in the dark about the scarf," she said. "It's totally possible. I don't know. I have been asked this before."
Related: All the Easter Eggs in Taylor Swift’s Fearless (Taylor’s Version)—Including All the Exes Referenced!