Taylor Squared: The Love Story of Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner – What Went Wrong?

Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner dated for 3 months in 2009.

Taylor Swift has had her fair share of romantic relationships (finally, you have to kiss a few frogs to find your prince). And while many of her exes have served as inspiration for heart-wrenching songs – we’re looking at you, Joe Jonas, John Mayer, and Jake Gyllenhaal – there’s one flame that sparked an alternative apology ballad: Taylor Lautner.

Swift told E! News, “The person I wrote this song about deserves this. This is about a person who was incredible to me – perfect for me in a relationship – and I was careless with him.”

Although this pair didn’t last long, they seemed to have a lot in common (besides their names, of course). Lautner and Swift were both teen sensations who achieved remarkable fame in a relatively short period and were still figuring out what that meant. In a way, they were quite perfect for each other – but as friends rather than lovers.

Here’s a look back at the relationship between Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner.

July 2009: Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner meet for the first time.

Swift had tried to land a role in Twilight but was ultimately rejected. However, Twihards wouldn’t have to wait long for her to get her revenge – by meeting Jacob Black. Lautner and Swift likely crossed paths on the set of the romantic comedy film Valentine’s Day in the summer of 2009 when they were 17 and 19 years old, respectively. In the movie, Taylors (also known as Willy and Felicia) played a high school couple.

September 2009: Taylor Lautner presents Taylor Swift with VMA award

Lautner was present at the pivotal cultural moment of 2009. He was on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards when Kanye West infamously interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech for Best Female Video. He even delivered the entire monologue on Saturday Night Live about it (more on that later).

In October 2009, Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner were first spotted together.

In the fall, the two Taylors were rumored to be dating, sparked by talk show host Ellen DeGeneres questioning the singer-songwriter about kissing Lautner on screen. Evidence such as their competitive game of air hockey, fun outings, dinner dates, and their joint attendance at music events suggested that this pair might be more than just an on-screen duo.

On November 7, 2009, Taylor Swift hosted “Saturday Night Live” and joked about dating Taylor Lautner.

When the pop culture icon hosted SNL for the first time, she kicked it off with a solo song joking about her relationship with Lautner.

“If you’re wondering if I might be dating the werewolf from Twilight…” she sang before seemingly addressing “Hey Taylor” to the camera and blowing a kiss, “I’m not going to comment on that in my monologue.”

On December 12, 2009, Taylor Lautner hosted SNL and made references to Taylor Swift during the show.

About a month later, the actor from “Abduction” had the opportunity to address his relationship with Swift and even make amends after that infamous night at the VMAs. He reenacted an alternative ending where he stood up to defend his then-girlfriend with West’s chopping karate move.

December 2009: Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner break up.

At the end of December, Us Weekly reported that the young couple had split. According to a “source close to Swift,” the relationship “didn’t really develop into anything” and “there wasn’t any chemistry.”

The source revealed, “He liked her more than she liked him. He went everywhere he could to see her, but she didn’t travel much to see him.”

In October of the following year, Swift released the single “Back to December,” immediately speculated to be about Lautner. The song describes an event occurring in winter (or commonly interpreted as a breakup) between a former couple, with lyrics like: “So this is me swallowing my pride / Standing in front of you saying, ‘I’m sorry for that night’ / And I go back to December all the time / Turns out freedom ain’t nothing but missing you / Wishing that I’d realized what I had when you were mine.”

TBT: Do you remember when Taylor Swift was rumored to have crashed her then-boyfriend’s cousin’s wedding?

A week before the song’s release, Swift told Glamour that Lautner was still one of her “closest friends.” Around the same time, she disclosed to Ladies’ Home Journal (via MTV News) that Lautner “was” someone she loved.

The sentiment seemed to be mutual on Lautner’s part as well. In 2016, during a Scream Queens press conference turned Taylor Swift-themed interrogation, the former Twilight star confirmed that “Back to December” was indeed about him, according to Elle. He also told co-star John Stamos that dating Swift was a “fun few months,” adding, “It was a good time.”

On February 12, 2010, the film “Valentine’s Day” featuring both Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner was released.

Watching the Taylors portraying affectionate teens on the soccer field in “Valentine’s Day” (the film believed to be their first meeting) is a fitting way to conclude the short-lived Swift-Lautner era—or prolong it. The movie premiered in February 2010 before the holiday season, lasting longer than the young couple’s relationship

July 8, 2023: Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner reunion

Since their relationship ended, Swift and Lautner have maintained a good relationship. Lautner even starred alongside Joey King and Presley Cash in a music video for Swift’s song “I Can See You” from her album “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).”

Swift premiered the video during a concert, with Lautner, King, and Cash joining her on stage, Entertainment Tonight reported. After the concert, the Taylor family—comprising Swift, Lautner, and his wife (ironically sharing the same name as the actor since they got married in 2022)—continued the fun by reenacting the famous Spider-Man meme. Clearly, that’s something friends and past (and present) romantic partners named Taylor do.