What John Mayer's Exes Have Said About Him
Hollywood is full of heartbreak — but when it comes to artists, we will most likely hear about it in a song. Whether it's Bruno Mars crooning Grenade or Taylor Swift on a revenge tour, there's no doubt that broken hearts can make for epic music. There's a particular crop of high-profile celebrities that have a reputation for being womanizers — and it's no secret that John Mayer fits the bill. With looks to kill and talent to match — it's no question that the singer-songwriter has broken his fair share of hearts. With hit songs like "Your Body Is a Wonderland," it only makes sense how Mayer swooned some of Hollywood's most sought-after stars.
The GRAMMY award-winning artist has been dubbed "rock's biggest playboy," and it's easy to see why. The "Paper Doll" singer has left a trail of ex-girlfriends in his wake, all the while writing songs about falling in and out of love. He's yet to find a woman that sticks — but Mayer hasn't given up hope. In a Rolling Stone piece, he questioned his dating methods, asking his interviewer, "Do you think it's going to take meeting someone who I admire more than I admire myself?" If that's the case — it may be a long road ahead for the artist, whose undeniable talent has earned him seven Grammy awards. While Mayer has been candid about whom he's writing about in his love songs, what are the opinions of the ladies he's been linked to? We're taking a look at everything John Mayer's exes have said about him.
Taylor Swift dissed John Mayer in a song
It's no question that Taylor Swift has a reputation for using her ex-boyfriends as inspiration for her break-up ballads. John Mayer was no different, as he is wildly believed to be the reason behind her track, "Dear John." The pair dated in 2009 after Mayer featured the "Red" singer on his track "Half of My Heart." The two went on to perform the song together at several shows, and Mayer wasn't shy about his admiration for the singer. He opened up about Swift on the Ellen DeGeneres Show at the time, saying, "She's one of the smartest, most talented people around right now. ... I think she's that genuine."
The pair split up in 2010, and shortly after fans began speculating about the nature of their relationship with the release of "Dear John." In the song, Swift writes, "Don't you think nineteen is too young/ To be played by your dark twisted games / When I loved you so?" While the "Speak Now" singer didn't name names, fans connected the timeline back to Mayer. She told People in 2010 that "A lot of times when people's relationships end, they write an email to that person and say everything that they wish they would have said," adding, "A lot of times they don't push send." For Swift, the song was her way of pushing send. Mayer didn't take too kindly to the track, telling Rolling Stone in 2012 that "...I never did anything to deserve that. It was a really lousy thing for her to do."
Jennifer Aniston thinks John Mayer is a wonderful guy
Not every one of John Mayer's exes had harsh words for the singer-songwriter. Jennifer Aniston had nothing but nice words to say about the "Last Train Home" singer. The former couple met in 2008 at an Oscars party and dated for about a year. In a 2010 interview with Playboy, Mayer admitted their age gap (she is eight years his senior) played a role in their split. "The brunt of her success came before TMZ and Twitter. I think she's still hoping it goes back to 1998. She saw my involvement in technology as courting distraction," he admitted.
As for the "Friends" star, she admitted to Vogue in 2008 that she hardly listened to the singer before they started dating. In the article, Aniston was asked about a confrontation Mayer had with the paparazzi after their breakup in which he said he was the one to end things with her. The "Murder Mystery" star took it in stride, saying, "He had to put that out there that he broke up with me. And especially because it's me. It's not just some girl he's dating. I get it. We're human," she said. "...And it doesn't take away from the fact that he is a wonderful guy. We care about each other...There was no malicious intent. I deeply, deeply care about him; we talk, we adore one another. And that's where it is."
Jessica Simpson says she was manipulated by John Mayer
After Jessica Simpson's divorce from Nick Lachey was finalized in 2006, the star found love again with John Mayer. The two stars met in 2006 and dated for about a year before they called it quits. Following their split, Mayer made some blunt comments about their sex life in a 2010 interview with Playboy. "...That girl, for me, is a drug," he admitted, adding, "Sexually it was crazy. That's all I'll say. It was like napalm, sexual napalm." Simpson admitted on Oprah (per Us Weekly) that Mayer reached out to her to apologize in the aftermath, saying, "I don't accept it. It's just one of those things that...I don't resent him. I'm just going to let that go. That part of my life is over."
Her relationship may have ended, but Simpson wasn't going to let Mayer have the last word. Fans got a glimpse into their tumultuous relationship when the "Dukes of Hazzard" actor opened up about Mayer in her memoir "Open Book." While promoting her book on the Tamron Hall Show, Simpson told Hall she didn't feel a public apology from her ex was necessary at the time. "You can't take it back. And I'm a very forgiving person, but I'm also honest. So, in the memoir, if I'm gonna talk about stuff that caused me pain, I'm going to be honest about it. And that was a time in my life that I was very manipulated and very also in love, or seemingly."
Katy Perry is triggered by John Mayer
Being two successful artists in the same industry, Katy Perry and John Mayer met years before their relationship became romantic. The two began seeing each other after Perry's split from Russell Brand in 2012. The two stars were on and off for years, but their love for each other was evident in their music. Perry was featured in Mayer's track "Who You Love" in 2014. The two singers called it quits in 2015, and the two remained private about the reasons for their breakup. Mayer channeled his heartbreak in his music, admitting to Vanity Fair that his track "Still Feel Like Your Man" was about his fallout from Perry.
While dating Mayer, the "Dark Horse" singer admitted in a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone that it was "hard to speak up" to her then-boyfriend. After their breakup, she found love again with her current fiancé Orlando Bloom, with whom she got engaged in 2019. Though she never spoke about her split with Mayer publicly, the artist made some joking comments about Mayer while judging American Idol in 2022. After a contestant performed "Heartbreak Warfare," Perry admitted, "Noah ... I feel like maybe you should Wikipedia me," going on to add, "It's a great song, you did great, but I can't talk anymore." The singer yelled, "I'm triggered," before sliding out of her chair laughing. It was later revealed Perry's co-star Luke Bryan selected the track for the contestant to perform. "Who is going to pay for my extra hour of therapy?" Perry said (per New York Post.)
Scheana Shay had a throuple with John Mayer
Before Scheana Shay was serving Pumptinis on Bravo's "Vanderpump Rules," the reality star was getting cozy with John Mayer. Shay admitted on the "Flashbacks" podcast (via People) in 2020 that she met the "Gravity" singer in 2008 while he was still linked to Jennifer Aniston. The Bravo celebrity was working as a bartender at the Grand Havana Room when Mayer and Aniston invited her to take shots with them. "They invited me to go back to [Aniston's] place in the Palisades after for an after-party," she revealed.
Though she declined the invite, Mayer came back to the Grand Havana Room weeks later when he was newly single. At the time, the "Vanderpump Rules" star was living with Stacie Adams, who was featured on MTV's "The Hills." Shay then brought her roommate around to mingle with Mayer. "This went on for about six months, that we hung out. We would go to his house... It just became, you know, kind of the three of us," she said. "We had a little throuple going on. But then there was, like, me and another her. Everyone always had attention."
Shay admitted she ended up becoming jealous over the arrangement after she felt Mayer had stronger feelings towards Adams. According to Shay, she ended up cutting things off with Mayer, but the singer continued to pursue Adams. She was fired for fraternizing with Mayer, but it lead her to start working for Lisa Vanderpump. "So if it wasn't for John Mayer, I wouldn't be on 'Vanderpump Rules,'" Shay told People.
Vanessa Carlton called him a bad breaker-upper
Would Vanessa Carlton walk "A Thousand Miles" for John Mayer? Inquiring minds want to know, especially since the two reportedly dated in the early 2000s. The two were allegedly a couple for about a year before going their separate ways. Not much was reported publicly about their relationship or split, but Carlton did have some hard feelings about the way Mayer handled the breakup. The singer allegedly called him a "bad breaker-upper," per Grazia. She's not the only one who seconded that, as his ex-girlfriend Jessica Simpson claimed in her memoir "Open Book" (per Grazia) that the "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" singer attempted to break up with her nine times over email.
While the track "A Thousand Miles" debuted after the two reportedly parted ways, the love song isn't about Mayer. While fans assumed the lyrics "Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles/If I could just see you, tonight," might have to do with a potential yearning for the "Neon" singer, Carlton denied the speculation. While not naming names, the singer admitted she had a crush on a Juilliard student at the time who inspired the song. "I can't say the person's name because they are a famous actor and I don't want to say it," she told Entertainment Tonight.
Jennifer Love Hewitt denied that her body is a wonderland
While Jennifer Love Hewitt and John Mayer dated a year after "Your Body is a Wonderland" was released, it didn't stop fans from fantasizing that Hewitt was the inspiration for the track. Hewitt and Meyer were linked in 2002 and dated for a few months before calling it quits. Mayer has admitted on numerous occasions that the song was about a teenage girlfriend, even setting the record straight again in 2023. On an episode of the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, Mayer said, "That was about my first girlfriend," adding, "That was about the feeling, which I think was already sort of nostalgic. I was 21 when I wrote that song and I was nostalgic for being 16."
Hewitt poked fun at all the speculation. The actor told Entertainment Weekly in 2007, "My body is far from a wonderland. My body is more like a pawnshop. There's a lot of interesting things put together, and if you look closely you'd probably be excited, but at first glance, not so much." Hewitt went on to wed Brian Hallisay in 2013, with whom she shares two children.
Minka Kelly was private about the split
John Mayer and Minka Kelly were first spotted together in 2007. The two were seen enjoying each other's company in Austin, California, and New York at several outings in the fall of that year. Kelly and Mayer didn't address their split publicly. Sources told People at the time that the "Friday Night Lights" star preferred to keep it private. "Minka told a couple friends that she and John had broken up but she really didn't want to tell anyone," an insider revealed. The two stars appeared to be on good terms following their breakup. Kelly attended Mayer's concert in December and the following after-party. They were also spotted catching up over breakfast in West Hollywood around the same time.
The "Titans" actor has been linked to several high-profile names throughout her years as a Hollywood star, including comedian Trevor Noah. As per the time of writing, she is allegedly dating "Imagine Dragons" singer Dan Reynolds.