Jake Gyllenhaal Just Addressed The "All Too Well" Criticism And Turning Off His Instagram Comments

    "Artists tap into personal experiences for inspiration, and I don’t begrudge anyone that.”

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    In a new profile with Esquire, Jake Gyllenhaal discussed the Taylor Swift song "All Too Well" — which is largely considered to be about him.

    For context, Jake and Taylor dated for three months when she was 20 years old and he was 29. As part of the Red re-release, Taylor released a 10-minute version of "All Too Well" that included new lyrics — reigniting speculation and criticism from fans surrounding their relationship. At the time, Jake didn't comment on the flurry of interest, but he did turn off his Instagram comments.

    Some lyrics include "They say all's well that ends well, but I'm in a new hell every time you double-cross my mind. You said if we had been closer in age, maybe it would've been fine"

    “It has nothing to do with me. It’s about her relationship with her fans,” Jake told Esquire. “It is her expression. Artists tap into personal experiences for inspiration, and I don’t begrudge anyone that.”

    Two people looking at each other lovingly in a scene from the music video

    Jake was then asked about turning off his Instagram comments amid the chaos, to which he replied broadly, “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.”

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    "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. How do we provoke a conversation? We see that in politics. There’s anger and divisiveness, and it’s literally life-threatening in the extreme."

    “My question is: 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," he continued, before saying that he hadn't listened to the Red re-release.

    “I’m not unaware that there’s interest in my life,” he added. However, he stressed, “My life is wonderful. I have a relationship that is truly wonderful, and I have a family I love so much. And this whole period of time has made me realize that.”

    You can read the full Esquire profile here.

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