The Real Reason Taylor Swift And Tom Hiddleston Split

In June 2016, Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston were madly in love and introducing each other to their respective parents. Three months later, they had broken up. How did a relationship that began so quickly and passionately end with such a thud? Oh, where do we even begin?

Swift's breakup from Hiddleston probably won't be inspiring any angsty songs. "It was an amicable split," a source told People magazine just as their breakup was confirmed. Us Weekly shed a little more light on the mechanics of the meltdown, claiming it was Swift who pulled the plug. "Tom wanted the relationship to be more public than she was comfortable with," the source said. "Taylor knew the backlash that comes with public displays of affection but Tom didn't listen to her concerns when she brought them up." The source added that Hiddleston is "embarrassed that the relationship fizzled out."

Keeping in line with the "amicable" spin, a source for Hiddleston told Us Weekly that the former couple "[gets] along great and will remain friends, but they just don't see it working right now."

Why would Swift, a singer who has allegedly written songs about most of her ex-boyfriends, want to keep her relationship private? Well, mere hours before their breakup was confirmed, sources for The Sun alleged Hiddleston was using the relationship and Swift's fame to boost his own status in Hollywood. "Tom wants their relationship to be public, even asking Taylor to go to the Emmys with him, but Taylor wants to keep her private life private," the source said. "Tom's need for their relationship to be so public so quickly makes her uncomfortable." The insider added, "She tried to be OK with it in the beginning but fears he is in love with the idea of her and not falling in love with her for the right reasons."

When they initially hooked up, some publications speculated the duo's romance was merely a publicity stunt, in part to help Hiddleston land the coveted role of James Bond in the movie franchise.

One of the first signs of trouble in paradise came in late August 2016 when sources for Us Weekly reported that Swift and Hiddleston had a "major argument" at the beginning of the month. "They weren't spending much time together," the insider revealed. "There was so much going on so it was hard making their schedules work, and they were upset they couldn't see each other."

According to the report, Hiddleston—who has been busy filming Thor: Ragnarok in Australia—allegedly flew to Swift's Rhode Island home for a two-day trip to make amends. "Tom is busier than her right now, so it's been hard," the source said. "They've had some schedule issues, but things are otherwise fine. They are making it work." Looks like that last-minute trip might have been too little, too late.

Let's be honest: no matter how hard Swift and Hiddleston fell for each other, there's no denying their romance was running faster than Kenya in the New York City Marathon. Case in point: mere weeks into their relationship, Hiddleston went to to Nashville, Tenn. to meet Swift's parents. One day later, the couple flew to Suffolk, England, to spend time with Hiddleston's mother on the beach. Sorry, but what? Anyone who's ever been in a relationship will tell you that meeting the parents is a huge step, one that should be taken with careful consideration and extreme caution.

If that wasn't enough to convince you of their breakneck speed, how about the time they flew to Italy a few days after meeting Hiddleston's mom? Or the time Hiddleston wore a tank top that read "I Heart T.S." during a celebrity-filled Fourth of July weekend? At the pace they were going, a messy breakup seemed almost inevitable. In fact, things had moved so fast, even the tabloids grew worried when they hadn't been photographed together for more than a month. "It was an intense start," a source for Hiddleston told Us Weekly. "No one can keep that kind of momentum going." Preach!

One the strangest parts about Swift and Hiddleston's relationship was that it was confirmed about two weeks after Swift's breakup from her boyfriend of about 15 months, DJ Calvin Harris. That split was initially pronounced amicable too, but it didn't take long for the couple's dirty laundry to hit the press.

In mid-July 2016, word got out that Swift had used a pseudonym to secretly write the lyrics to Harris' hit song with Rihanna, "This Is What You Came For." The reveal, which Swift quickly confirmed, was surprising to many fans, though maybe not as surprising as the way Harris reacted to the reports on Twitter. "I wrote the music, produced the song, arranged it and cut the vocals," Harris tweeted (via NickiSwift). "And initially [Swift] wanted to keep it a secret, hence the pseudonym."

Although Harris called Swift an "amazing lyric writer," he also called her out for what he felt was a personal takedown via the press. "I figure if you're happy in your new relationship you should focus on that instead of trying to tear your ex bf down for something to do," he tweeted (via NickiSwift.) "I know you're off tour and you need someone new to try and bury...but I'm not that guy, sorry. I won't allow it."

Um, yeah. When your old relationship is still making headlines in the tabloids, it's that much harder to make your new one survive.

Swift's terrible, no good, very bad summer took a turn for the worse when she got tangled up in yet another feud with her years-long rival, rapper Kanye West. This time around, West's wife, Kim Kardashian, accused Swift on multiple occasions of lying about her involvement in the writing of West's controversial song, "Famous." Although Swift publicly bashed the song after it was released in February 2016, claiming she'd never approve the lyric in which West referred to her as "that b**ch," Kardashian claimed Swift was actually in on the song from the get-go and that West had even called to get her approval. Kardashian slammed Swift in the pages of GQ magazine, then reiterated her stance on an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

Then, just to twist the knife deeper, Kardashian posted to Snapchat a series of videos in which Swift is allegedly heard praising "Famous" during a phone conversation with West. After the videos were released, Swift reiterated her stance about "that b****," adding that the videos never showed them discussing that specific lyric. But by then, Swift's innocent victim act was beginning to smell stale to many.

A source for Us Weekly claimed Hiddleston helped comfort Swift through her PR disasters, but with her integrity on the chopping block, Swift's best strategy may be to take cover and keep a low profile until the dust settles. For a relationship that started off so quickly and so publicly, these scenarios just don't jive.

Even if Swift and Hiddleston's so-called "major argument" didn't actually happen, sooner or later, they were going to have to address the fact that they were two very busy people who were dating long distance. Long-distance relationships are a hard nut for any couple to crack, but trying to manage a romance across multiple cities in multiple continents seems like a challenge not even the strongest of twosomes could conquer. Unless someone was willing to take a backseat to the other person's schedule, this relationship was probably operating on borrowed time.