Jake Gyllenhaal hasn't listed to Taylor Swift's extended version of her hit song "All Too Well," and he doesn't have any plans to either.
In a new interview with Esquire, the actor comments for the first time about the song that had everyone speculating about the reason his relationship with Swift ended so quickly.
The former couple only dated for about three months 12 years ago and Swift's 10-minute-long remake of her song "All Too Well" seems to suggest that their age difference (she was 20 and he was 29 at the time) played a major part in their budding relationship's demise.
What does Jake Gyllenhaal have to say about Taylor Swift's 'All Too Well (10 Minute Version)'?
When asked how he feels about Swift re-releasing the song, the 41-year-old seemed pretty unfazed.
“It has nothing to do with me. 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," he said.
When Swift released the song (and the accompanying music video), her fans went wild on social media, with many of them posting harsh comments about Gyllenhaal. The actor subsequently turned off his Instagram comments and when Esquire suggested that the song's re-release must have affected him, he offered the following reflection.
"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," he said.
"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," he continued.
The actor went on to express concern for the "anger and divisiveness" that social media and politics can fuel.
"My question is: 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,” he said.
The 41-year-old acknowledged that he realizes the public is interested in hearing about his life. And he took the opportunity to share a positive update on how things are going.
“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 said.
