Jake Gyllenhaal Speaks Out About Taylor Swift's All Too Well

Most of the men who have dated Taylor Swift likely know that there's a chance that she could pen a song about them following a breakup. As fans know, Swift has made a living out of writing and singing catchy songs and love songs, and songs about breakups are her bread and butter. The Grammy winner has described her songwriting process on a number of occasions, including how she came up with most songs in "Folklore," her 2020 album. "In isolation my imagination has run wild and this album is the result, a collection of songs and stories that flowed like a stream of consciousness," Swift wrote on Instagram. "Picking up a pen was my way of escaping into fantasy, history, and memory." There's no doubt Swift has one of the best imaginations and she also has a "long list of ex-lovers." 

The songstress has dated the likes of John Mayer, Taylor Lautner, Harry Styles, and Jake Gyllenhaal and she had better luck in some relationships than in others. According to Us Weekly, Swift and Gyllenhaal began dating in October 2010. They were spotted together on a number of occasions but the romance was short-lived, lasting just three months. 

According to Us Weekly (via HuffPost), they were set up by another famous friend in Gwyneth Paltrow — but she probably shouldn't quit her day job to be a match-maker, seeing how things ended. Even though the romance happened 11 years ago, people are still talking about it, thanks to one of Swift's songs.

Jake Gyllenhaal is well aware that one of Taylor Swift's songs is rumored to be about him. The actor opened up about Swift's track, "All Too Well," in an interview with Esquire. Swift first released the song in 2012, but she re-released a 10-minute version on "Red: Taylor's Version," and the internet immediately pointed the finger at Gyllenhaal. The actor disabled comments on his Instagram feed, but some of Swift's fans commented on his sister Maggie Gyllenhaal's page to get their message across.

Gyllenhaal insists that the song has nothing to do with their past relationship. "It has nothing to do with me. It's about her relationship with her fans," the actor said. "It is her expression. Artists tap into personal experiences for inspiration, and I don't begrudge anyone that." When asked if the backlash from Swift's fans has been hard, Gyllenhaal said it hasn't, and he explained why he turned off Instagram comments. "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 shared, adding that it's all part of a deeper problem.

On an episode of Late Night with Seth Myers, Swift talked about the re-release of "Red" and how much better it was since she hadn't just gone through heartbreak. "It's really nice to be able to put this album out and, like, not be sad," she said. " [I'm not] taking breaks in between interviews to cry."