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in General Factchecking by Journeyman (2.5k points)
According to People Magazine, Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn have separated after six years together. Is this 100% accurate?

8 Answers

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by Journeyman (3.5k points)
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With no explicit comments from either Taylor Swift or Joe Alwyn, nothing can be confirmed or denied with 100% certainty as your claim asks for. While answers in these situations can also be confirmed or denied by publicists or trusted team members of celebrities, there have not been any reputable claims from either of their teams on the matter of the alleged breakup.

It is important with journalism on speculated breakups to make sure that publications base their information on reputable and known sources. Entertainment Tonight (ET) was the first to break the news on the split with their piece "Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn Break Up After Six Years of Dating (Exclusive)" posted on April 8th. From this initial piece detailing the breakup between Swift and Alwyn, there are no direct sources affiliated with either member of the couple. The piece uses sentences such as "ET was told..." to allude to sources that wanted to remain anonymous. Because of this, the source has limited credibility. The piece uses quotes from the source about the alleged breakup's events, with no name, this claim is unable to be confirmed.

Hours later, People published a piece on the breakup as well, noting that ET had been the first to break the story. In People's article, they also do not use any sources with official names or information. In this piece, the only bit of information available about the person is that they are "a source close to the pair". This, once again, is irresponsible journalism, as the reader can not trust the information due to sources lacking credibility.

Based on these two publications' coverages of the alleged breakup, the New York Times also commented on the matter in their piece "Taylor Swift Fans Grapple With Breakup Reports" which focused on fans being skeptical of the reports. In this piece, the cite both ET and People in regards to their respective pieces on the breakup. This piece solidifies that the claims can not be proven true or false until an official statement from either party is issued on the allegations. Until then, this claim can not be proven with 100% certainty.

ET source: https://www.etonline.com/taylor-swift-and-joe-alwyn-break-up-after-six-years-of-dating-exclusive-202408 

People source: https://people.com/music/taylor-swift-joe-alwyn-break-up-after-6-years-together/

NYT source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/10/style/taylor-swift-joe-alwyn-breakup-reports.html

Exaggerated/ Misleading
by Genius (46.3k points)
0 0
I agree that an unlisted "source" doesn't make for legitimate evidence to back up a claim. Great job outlining why you don't think the claim is true (rather that it could be true but lacks concrete evidence at this point).
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by Novice (920 points)

As of right now, there were many article that have come up stating that Taylor Swift and her boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, of 6 years have called it quits. Now, once one article posted this, the rest decided to also post it. However, there has been no talk from their teams about wether or not this is actually true. Taylor Swift has also not said anything about it. This has happened before where articles have posted saying that they are secretly married but none of it has been true. I think until Taylor Swift herself, or someone from her team or Joes team states that they have, you cannot believe much. She was also caught leaving dinner in New York on Monday, with a necklace around her neck that has J on it for Joes name. As of right now, there is no confirmation of this breakup. But, here is a reason that articles are saying they have split: " "Joe has struggled with Taylor's level of fame and the attention from the public." I think until one of them comes out confirming it, we cannot assume anything.  

Article: https://people.com/music/taylor-swift-joe-alwyn-breakup-everything-to-know/ 

Exaggerated/ Misleading
by Genius (46.3k points)
0 0
Do you have a source for the "J" necklace being seen on Swift recently? Don't forget to provide sources for all your information.
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by Apprentice (1.1k points)

While there has been no confirmation from Joe Alwyn or Taylor Swift, many news outlets are saying it was confirmed by sources close to Taylor Swift. 

CNN said, "A source close to Taylor confirmed the news to CNN saying 'Taylor and Joe broke up a few weeks ago. They simply grew apart and plan to remain friends."

Entertainment Tonight claims they've exclusively learned about the break up and that "ET has also learned that the split was amicable and 'It was not dramatic. The relationship had just run its course. It's why [Alwyn] hasn't been spotted at any shows.'"

Both news outlets haven't named their sources and there hasn't been an official press release or comment from either Taylor Swift or Joe Alwyn's teams. So it could be potentially misleading but it's unclear.

CNN Article - https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/09/entertainment/taylor-swift-joe-alwyn-break-up/index.html

ET Article - https://www.etonline.com/taylor-swift-and-joe-alwyn-break-up-after-six-years-of-dating-exclusive-202408

Exaggerated/ Misleading
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by Apprentice (1.2k points)

Claims like this are hard to label as true or false without the person actually stating it's true or false. There's plenty of links that speculate the two being together, married, and breaking up, but that's really all it is- speculation. Some of it even comes from fans noting the change in set list for her tour she's currently on, as she's added some songs that hint at a breakup. According to Rolling Stone, "At press time, neither Swift nor Alwyn have commented on the breakup." So with that in mind, it's neither true or false unless one of them confirms or denies the claims.

Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn Reportedly Break Up – Rolling Stone

Can't be true or false (Opinion, poem, etc.)
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by Apprentice (1.4k points)

After Entertainment Tonight (ET) posted that the 6-year long relationship between Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn has ended, all other media outlets reported the same. The statement comes from "a source close to the couple", as per the People. The article quotes this mysterious source various times, but it is never clarified who the source is.

Here are some quotes from the People's article: (Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn's Breakup: Everything We Know (people.com))

""They've had rough patches before and always worked things out, so friends thought they would take some time apart but eventually come back together," the source said, noting that "ultimately" Swift and Alwyn "weren't the right fit for one another."

The source added that Swift's superstardom was another factor in the split: "Joe has struggled with Taylor's level of fame and the attention from the public.""

These are bold statements but haven't been backed up by either Joe Alwyn or Taylor Swift. The couple has not made an official statement regarding the breakup yet. Swift is currently on her Eras' tour.

The only thing is, no comment from the couple may make it seem like they have actually broken up. But that is also speculation at best.

Most of the "news" articles surrounding this breakup seem to base themselves on an unknown source and lots of speculation. Another point of speculation in the People's article: "In early April, a source close to the couple revealed that their breakup happened a "few weeks ago," though the exact timing wasn't specified. Around that same time, Swift notably changed the Eras Tour setlist on her March 31 stop at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, swapping out Folklore's sweet paean to soulmates, "Invisible String," for the nostalgic look-back at a lost love, "The 1," from the same album." The change in setlist is a very unreliable way to draw inference about such a thing.

Hence, it may still be too early to say if they have broken up or not.

Exaggerated/ Misleading
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by Novice (760 points)

As of right now, neither Taylor Swift or Joe Alwyn have confirmed the breakup. That being said, several news sources are claiming they did. 

In People's article, "Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn's Breakup: Everything we Know" they say, "After six seemingly blissful years together, Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn have shocked fans with news of their sudden breakup. Over the weekend, a source close to the pair confirmed to PEOPLE that the singer and her actor boyfriend were going their separate ways."

Entertainment Tonight also wrote an article titled "Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn Breakup After Six Years of Dating (Exclusive)."

Sources: https://people.com/music/taylor-swift-joe-alwyn-breakup-everything-to-know/#:~:text=After%20six%20seemingly%20blissful%20years,news%20of%20their%20sudden%20breakup.

https://people.com/music/taylor-swift-joe-alwyn-breakup-everything-to-know/#:~:text=After%20six%20seemingly%20blissful%20years,news%20of%20their%20sudden%20breakup.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/09/entertainment/taylor-swift-joe-alwyn-break-up/index.html

by Genius (46.3k points)
0 0
How would you rate the claim? True, false, misleading, N/A, etc? Don't forget to select a rating for all your fact-checks. Thanks!
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by Apprentice (1.0k points)
According to this article from CNN, they have separated after first getting together in 2016.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/09/entertainment/taylor-swift-joe-alwyn-break-up/index.html

ET was the first outlet to break this news. According to them, Alwyn wasn't spotted at any of her tour stops this year so far. Neither Swift nor Alwyn have commented on the state of their relationship at this time.

https://www.etonline.com/taylor-swift-and-joe-alwyn-break-up-after-six-years-of-dating-exclusive-202408
by Genius (46.3k points)
0 0
How would you rate the claim? True, false, misleading, N/A, etc? Don't forget to select a rating for all your fact-checks. Thanks!
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by Apprentice (1.1k points)
According to Elle, "Swift is 'enjoying her freedom,' and is 'adjusting to the single life' after spending six years dating Alwyn. The single girl era isn't ending imminently either, the source said: She isn't dating anybody and isn't even thinking about getting into another relationship anytime soon.'”

Source: https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a43671175/taylor-swift-dating-single-era-feelings-report-april-2023/
by Genius (46.3k points)
0 0
How would you rate the claim? True, false, misleading, N/A, etc? Don't forget to select a rating for all your fact-checks. Thanks!

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