Story About Why Joe Alwyn Didn’t Join Taylor Swift At Billboard Awards Is Made-Up

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A story about why Joe Alwyn didn’t join Taylor Swift at the Billboard Music Awards is made-up. It comes a from a site that has already been proven to fabricate articles about the singer because it does not have real sources. In this case, Gossip Cop can explain how already known information and questionable claims were used for a phony “exclusive.”

The bogus report comes from HollywoodLife, which is asserting Swift had a “very good reason” for attending Sunday’s ceremony “solo,” as opposed to with “her love.” A so-called “source close to Joe” is quoted as saying, “Joe is determined to make it as an actor in his own right, and not to be known just as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend.” This supposed snitch maintains that, as such, Swift “totally understands why he doesn’t want to be a red carpet fixture with her.”

That certainly sounds reasonable, but it isn’t exactly a scoop. In February, for instance, E! Online reported on how Swift and Alwyn prefer to keep their romance “private.” At the same time, though, he isn’t adverse to being seen supporting his girlfriend. Alwyn accompanied Swift to a Jingle Ball concert in December, and earlier this month Alwyn was at Swift’s highly-anticipated tour opener. Surely if he was concerned about being known “just as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend,” he wouldn’t be stepping out publicly with her at career events at all.

Meanwhile, the blog’s “source” goes on to pretend to be knowledgeable by pointing out in unnaturally expository language that Alwyn “has been in Cannes where he was awarded the Chopard Trophy, which is a huge honor and recognizes Joe as one of the hottest up and coming actors of his generation.” Yet it was already known a week ago, as it was covered by a wide range of media outlets, that Alwyn received the annual Trophee Chopard honor. This is not unique insight from an insider, but information anyone could Google. And getting that award on May 14 has nothing to do with him not attending the Billboard Awards on May 20.

Swift’s relationship with Alwyn has not been in the spotlight as much as some of her past romances, which is why it is no surprise at all that he wasn’t on the red carpet with her. HollywoodLies, as the website is known for its tendency to make-up stories, just wants to appear in-the-know. But the online publication has already demonstrated that it is anything but. Last summer, for example, Gossip Cop caught the site lying about Swift and Alwyn’s July Fourth plans.

After the blog insisted in an “exclusive” that Swift would finally address the relationship on social media with photos of Alwyn at her holiday party, the concocted narrative blew up in its face when the songstress didn’t host a gathering at all, much less “break the internet with one single picture.” Of course, if the outlet had real “sources,” it would’ve known all along that Swift wasn’t hosting a party and had no intention of flaunting her love life on social media, which she still hasn’t done all these months later.

In sum, after Swift attended last weekend’s award show without Alwyn, HollywoodLies wanted to capitalize on the interest in her appearance at the event by claiming to “exclusively” know why he was absent. In actuality, the publication merely made assumptions based on common knowledge, and offered nothing noteworthy because, as its poor track record shows, it apparently does not have real access to the couple’s inner world.