Jake Gyllenhaal discusses ‘unruly supporters’ in wake of Taylor Swift fan pile-ons

Hollywood actor says he doesn’t begrudge artistic expression but comments on wider issue of ‘cyberbullying’ and the responsibilities of people with large online followings

Jake Gyllenhaal has confirmed he has not listened to Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version).

He said he does not “begrudge” her for the extended version of “All Too Well”, the 2012 song that fans have long speculated is about Swift and Gyllenhaal’s relationship.

The new version all but confirms the singer wrote it after they broke up in 2011. Swift and Gyllenhaal dated for three months from October 2010, splitting up just after the Grammy-winning singer turned 21 that December.

New lyrics include the lines: “And I was never good at telling jokes/ But the punchline goes: “I’ll get older, but your lovers stay my age.” Gyllenhaal, 41, is reportedly currently dating 26-year-old model Jeanne Cadieu.

Gyllenhaal discussed Swift’s music in an interview with Esquire magazine, in which he said: “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.”

Along with the song’s extended version, Swift released a joint short film that relaunched fan theories about Gyllenhaal’s part in Swift’s heartbreak.

As a result, Gyllenhaal received backlash from fans online. He later turned off Instagram comments.

“My question is: Is this our future?” Gyllenhaal said in regard to the social media pile-on he experienced. “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.”

“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,” Gyllenhaal said.

Red (Taylor’s Version) was released in November 2021 and held the top spot on the Billboard charts, with “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” accompanying it at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.