Taylor Swift has a lot of famous exes – and as a result, a lot of songs about those aforementioned exes. But we’ve always been particularly intrigued about what went down between the “Love Story” singer and Jonas Brothers musician Joe Jonas, as they dated for just a few short months in the summer of 2008 and then broke up. They are now said to be on great terms, but that wasn’t always the way! So why did they go their separate ways? Let’s read on to find out everything we know about their brief but memorable relationship…
Swift and Jonas reportedly started dating in July 2008 after the “Lavender Haze” singer performed with the Jonas Brothers during their Burnin’ Up Tour, which was later featured in their 3D movie, Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience. They initially denied that anything was going on between them, with the MTV VMA winner telling People at the time: “We’re all friends. He’s an amazing guy and anybody would be lucky to be dating him.” Jonas also didn’t confirm that he and Swift were dating, and told Ryan Seacrest at the time: “She’s a great girl… I think anybody would love to go on a date with her.” Swift and Jonas broke up in October that same year.
Why Did Taylor Swift And Joe Jonas Break Up?
Although nothing was confirmed, Taylor told Us Weekly at the end of 2008 that Jonas broke up with her because of actress Camilla Belle, who he dated from 2008 until mid-2009. Taylor told the pub at the time: "They've been together since we broke up. That's why we broke up – because he met her." Yikes!
Jonas has never confirmed the real reason for calling things off with Swift, although a post on his Myspace page back in 2008 seemed to suggest that it was as simple as his "feelings" changing, while also hinting that he never cheated on her – or any girlfriends. More on this down below…
What Else Did Taylor Swift Say About Their Relationship?
While the "Anti-Hero" singer seldom speaks about her dating life in public – she saves it for her records, of course! – she didn't hesitate to address the split when she appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2008. The Grammy winner was all too forthcoming about their split, and told Ellen that the Jonas Brothers musician actually broke up with her in a 25-second phone call. Ouch!
"Someday, I'm gonna find somebody really, really, really great, who's right for me," she told Ellen, adding: "When I find that person that is right for me, he'll be wonderful and when I look at that person, I'm not even gonna be able to remember the boy who broke up with me over the phone in 25 seconds when I was 18."
(In 2019, Taylor addressed that infamous comment when she appeared on Ellen again, and said she regretted putting "Joe Jonas on blast on your show." She said: "That was too much. Yeah, that was too much. I was 18. We laugh about it now, but that was mouthy… just teenage stuff there.")
Taylor wrote about their relationship in many songs over the years, including the Fearless song "Forever & Always," telling People at the time: "[It's] a song about watching somebody completely fade away in a relationship and wondering what you did wrong." Fans also thought the song "Last Kiss" from Speak Now and the song "Holy Ground" from Red was also about him, with the latter of which seemingly referencing their time in NYC together when she performed with the Jonas Brothers at Madison Square Garden in 2008.
Additionally, Swift referenced their breakup on her Myspace page when she posted a video of herself holding up a Joe Jonas doll and saying: "See, this one even comes with a phone. So he can break up with other dolls." Zing!
In the Fearless (Taylor's Version) album, which was released in 2021, Taylor included the track "Mr. Perfectly Fine," which wasn't in the original album, and is believed to be about Jonas. Taylor took to Twitter to talk about the song, and wrote: "Me in 2020: life is chill, writing songs based in fiction to avoid drama, feeling pretty grown up. My 2008 music from the vault, in a goblin voice: 'REELEEEEEEASE MR PERFECTLY FIIIIIIINE.'"
Joe Jonas Addresses Taylor Swift Split
Jonas, who is currently in the midst of a divorce from Games of Thrones star Sophie Turner, with whom he shares two daughters, has also addressed their split in a few subtle and not-so-subtle ways over the years. Following Swift's 2008 Ellen bombshell, Jonas took to his own Myspace page and wrote at the time: "Several things I will state with all my heart. I never cheated on a girlfriend. It might make someone feel better to assume or imply I have been unfaithful but it is simply not true. Maybe there were reasons for a breakup. Maybe the heart moved on. Perhaps feelings changed. I am truly saddened that anything would potentially cause you to think less of me."
Jonas then addressed the alleged 25-second break-up phone call, which he said was actually 27 seconds, suggesting it was only as brief as it was because Swift hung up on him. "For those who have expressed concern over the '27 second' phone call, I called to discuss feelings with the other person. Those feelings were obviously not well received," he said. "I did not end the conversation. Someone else did. Phone calls can only last as long as the person on the other end of the line is willing to talk."
As for his songs – many fans thought the song "Much Better" from the Jonas Brothers' album Lines, Vines and Trying Times was about the "Look What You Made Me Do" hitmaker, as Jonas spoke about being "done with superstars and all the tears on her guitar," which could likely be in reference to Swift's song "Teardrops on My Guitar."
Fans also thought the single "Paranoid" was about the "Bad Blood" singer too, thanks to the lyrics: "Caught in a nightmare / Can't wake up/ That's why my ex is still my ex/ I never trust a word she says / I'm running all the background checks / And she's freaking out."
