Finally, some answers!
Last month Taylor Swift released her latest album The Tortured Poet's Department, and aside from breaking records left, right and centre, the album name created plenty of speculation.
Why? Because months ago Andrew Scott revealed in an interview that himself, Paul Mescal and Joe Alwyn were in a Whatsapp group called "Tortured Man Club" - a reference to the actors playing a lot of typically emotional roles.
Fans were quick to pick up on this when Taylor's album dropped a few months later and immediately started speculating on whether the name had anything to do with the groupchat her ex Joe Alwyn was in.
Joe Alywyn, who starred in the TV adaptation of Sally Rooney's Conversations With Friends last year, was in a relationship with Taylor Swift for 6 years. The pair ended things in February 2022.
View this post on Instagram
In an interview with Variety recently, Andrew Scott was asked about these rumours and whether he believed there was a connection between the album name and their groupchat.
“Let me tell you what that is!” the Dublin actor began, “So we were about to play these tortured characters, and I had played a tortured character in Fleabag.”
“It wasn’t about our own characteristics!” Andrew promised.
He also revealed that the group chat is no longer active.
“I think there were three texts, like, ‘Hey, guys.’ You know those groups that you set up, and they just collapse,” Scott said.
The groupchat might be gone, but Andrew revealed he stays in touch with Taylor Swift herself, who he describes as "a force of nature".
“I texted her yesterday to say how amazing it is,” he said. “I think she is just a force of nature, just an extraordinary human, and this album is really, really amazing.”
Looks like the 'Tortured Man Club' won't be going for pints any time soon so!
Tune in to World Wide Reb, weekday mornings at 8.10am on 98FM's Big Breakfast for all the latest entertainment news ?
