Did Taylor Swift really name The Tortured Poets Department after Joe Alwyn's group chat?

London, UK - Actor Andrew Scott has finally cleared the air when it comes to the swirling rumors that a group chat he's in with Taylor Swift's ex, Joe Alwyn, actually inspired the name of her latest album.

Andrew Scott (l.) has revealed the story behind his "Tortured Man Club" group chat with Joe Alwyn (r.) that fans have assumed inspired Taylor Swift's newest album title.
Andrew Scott (l.) has revealed the story behind his "Tortured Man Club" group chat with Joe Alwyn (r.) that fans have assumed inspired Taylor Swift's newest album title.  © Collage: Adrian DENNIS, Robyn BECK, & LOIC VENANCE / AFP

After the 34-year-old announced that her 11th studio album would be called The Tortured Poets Department, Swifites quickly recirculated a clip of Joe and actor Paul Mescal discussing their group chat with Andrew that bore a pretty similar name.

Now, Andrew has broken his silence on "The Tortured Man Club" group chat and its potential influence on TTPD.

In a Variety interview published Wednesday, the 47-year-old Sherlock star was quick to clarify that the name actually came from characters the trio has played on TV – Paul in Normal People, Andrew in Fleabag, and Joe in Conversations With Friends.

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"So they were about to play these tortured characters, and I had played a tortured character in Fleabag," Andrew explained. "It wasn't about our own characteristics!"

Be that as it may, the most fervent Swifties were convinced the title fit Joe's public persona, and with Taylor expected to tell all the gritty details of their shock split on TTPD, fans were sure that it was all connected.

Alas, Andrew revealed that the chat didn't go very far, making it somewhat unlikely the Karma singer even knew about it. "I think there were three texts, like, 'Hey, guys.' You know those groups that you set up, and they just collapse," he said.

Perhaps adding further strength to Andrew's comments is the fact that TTPD's title track is presumed to be inspired by Taylor's short-lived romance with musician Matty Healy after she and Joe called it quits in 2023.

Andrew Scott addresses his connection to Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department

Taylor Swift released The Tortured Poets Department on April 19.
Taylor Swift released The Tortured Poets Department on April 19.  © Screenshot/Instagram/@taylorswift

As it turns out, the All of Us Strangers actor is actually a good friend of Taylor's, and he had nothing but praise for her newest album.

"I think she is just a force of nature, just an extraordinary human, and this album is really, really amazing," he said, adding that his favorite track is The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived – talk about a man with taste!

That song is also assumed to be about Matty rather than Joe, with many Swifties believing So Long London, loml, and The Manuscript to be among the few that call to mind the 33-year-old Kinds of Kindness star out of the whopping 31 tracks.

Along with Matty and Joe, Taylor's current beau, Travis Kelce, also got a few nods as well as the singer's famous enemy, Kim Kardashian.

Cover photo: Collage: Adrian DENNIS, Robyn BECK, & LOIC VENANCE / AFP

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