The worst has happened. After three months of far-flung photo opportunities, parental meet-and-greets and his-and-hers functional outerwear, Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston have reportedly decided to call it quits. True love is dead.
As you’d expect, a handful of conflicting narratives regarding the cause of the split are doing the rounds – and we’re guessing that the singer would very much like to be excluded from them, thanks.
According to an Us magazine source, the Night Manager star 'wanted the relationship to be more public than she was comfortable with. Taylor knew the backlash that comes with public displays of affection but Tom didn’t listen to her concerns when she brought them up.’
Tom, meanwhile, is apparently ‘embarrassed that the relationship fizzled out.’ We’re sure he’s missing the Long Island photo shoots already, but as another source puts it, ‘no one can keep that kind of momentum going.’ As Taylor put it herself in her 2010 single, 'the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now... Next chapter!'
Of course, the Internet's response to the ultimate meme-able couple has been plentiful - although amidst the fun gifs, there's certainly been a nasty - but sadly - predictable streak of misogyny running through the #Hiddleswift hashtag. Yes, the whole circus was ridiculous, but can we stop the 'he was too good for her anyway! Crazy girl can't hold on to a man' comments? Her public persona may grate on you, her dating life may interest you, but as Taylor has previously pointed out, using any woman as a 'lightning rod for slut-shaming' is never OK.
As we pick ourselves up after this definitely not-at-all foreseeable break-up, it’s time to pay tribute to this year’s most vicariously exhausting celebrity pairing. Hiddleswift, these were your best moments…
The first glance
To roughly paraphrase Love Story, see the lights, see the party, the slip dresses. This picture, taken at Anna Wintour's pre-Met Gala soirée in May, has been taken as evidence of the very moment that Taylor set eyes on Tom. It's also one of our top three Hiddleswift memes of all time. This one's for everyone who has ever wasted a half-decent party lurking in the shadows and plotting their next move from afar.
The Met Gala dance off
Ah, the dance off. What seemed like a throwaway, mildly amusing anecdote (complete with mildly amusing video) in the immediate aftermath of the Met Gala soon acquired greater significance in the Hiddleswift story. Tom and Taylor may be over, but thanks to the magic of the Internet we can still watch the pair getting down to this sick beat (or, T.I's Bring Them Out)...
The Rhode Island kisses
Where were you when Taylor and Tom made their very public debut? The pebbles, the lapping waves of the Atlantic, the non-weather appropriate outfits: it's the scene that re-defined not-very-convincing romantic photo opps for the social media generation. In scenes straight out of a Nicholas Sparks movie or, alternatively, one of Swift's own music videos, the pair skipped playfully over rocks and snapped selfies (which are yet to see the light of day), all while blissfully (un)aware of the lurking paparazzi. Safe to say, Calvin Harris was not impressed.
The Roman holiday
After Rhode Island came Taylor's take on 1953's Audrey Hepburn-starring classic, Roman Holiday. Or, if you're feeling less generous, her very own re-enactment of The Lizzie McGuire Movie (it's still on Netflix, everyone!) From the Colosseum to the Vatican, no site of historical interest was left un-visited by the pair. The result? A vast selection of impressively loved-up holiday snaps. If Taylor was your Facebook friend, you'd have hidden her from your feed by now.
The 'Meet The Parents' scenario
What does every couple do two weeks into their fledgling relationship? Introduce each other to their respective future-in-laws, that's what! Jumping into her private jet, Taylor and Tom hopped over the Atlantic for tea and a bracing walk on a Sussex beach with Mother Hiddleston (these two certainly gave good 'coast'). A great time was had by all. Would 'Home Counties' Taylor be the singer's next incarnation?
The Fourth Of July
No one does Independence Day like Taylor Swift, but this year's celebration, hosted at her Long Island mansion, was in another league. The icing on the stars-and-stripes cake came in the form of what will doubtless go down in history as Tom Hiddleston's worst sartorial decision ever: the 'I Heart T. S' tank top (yes, a vest). Was it ironic? Was it a post-modern comment? Was it lovingly designed on Vistaprint.com? We'll never know the answers, but we can all agree on the fact that it was an eyesore.
The Ryan Reynolds hostage situation
In one Instagram photo, posted by Taylor's school pal Brittany Maack, Ryan Reynold's facial expression managed to encapsulate everything that needed to be said about Hiddleswift. Ryan, we felt the pain in your sad, sad eyes.
RIP Hiddleswift, forever in our hearts...
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