Swift had a brief romance with Jake Gyllenhaal in 2010.
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the Taylor Swift fandom, Saturday Night Live has announced an unexpected pairing for its May 18 episode.
Jake Gyllenhaal, the acclaimed actor and Swift's former flame, will host the show, while Sabrina Carpenter, a singer who shares a connection with Swift, will serve as the musical guest.
Carpenter, known for hits like "Espresso," previously opened for Swift during the Latin America, Asia, and Australian legs of her Eras Tour. Their friendship has been well-documented, sparking excitement among fans to see them possibly collaborate on the SNL stage. However, the addition of Gyllenhaal as host has taken the anticipation to a whole new level.
Swifties wasted no time in expressing their thoughts on social media, which erupted with reactions ranging from amusement to disbelief at the unexpected pairing.
"Whoever chose Jake Gyllenhaal and Sabrina Carpenter to do Saturday Night Live together really chose violence in a hilarious way," one X user wrote.
Another fan wrote, "sabrina carpenter hosting with jake gyllenhaal is SO 'you'll never get away from the sound of the woman who loves you.'"
Gyllenhaal himself previously addressed Swift's music, acknowledging her right to draw inspiration from personal experiences. In a 2022 interview with Esquire, he remarked, "It’s about her relationship with her fans. It is her expression," he told the magazine. "Artists tap into personal experiences for inspiration, and I don’t begrudge anyone that."
Without directly naming Swift, Gyllenhaal seemed to imply that his ex had a duty to encourage her fans not to publicly attack him in response to her music.
"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 said. "That begs for a deeper philosophical question. Not about any individual, per se, but a conversation that allows us to examine how we can — or should, even— take responsibility for what we put into the world, our contributions into the world."
Gyllenhaal added, "Is this our future? 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.”
Swift had a brief romance with Gyllenhaal in 2010, sparking speculation that the majority of her 2012 album, Red, was inspired by their relationship, a theory that has persisted for years.
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