Taylor Swift And Taylor Lautner Are Proof: You Can Make Amends With An Ex
It’s October 2010. Taylor Swift has just dropped the highly-anticipated Speak Now, a wistful and romantic album that gave us masterpieces such as “Mine” and “Haunted.” Speak Now also included the tender breakup ballad “Back To December” among its track list, a song allegedly about her ex-boyfriend Taylor Lautner, whom she had dated for a few months in 2009.
In “Back To December,” Swift laments letting her former love go:
So this is me swallowin’ my pride
“Back To December” by Taylor Swift
Standin’ in front of you sayin’ I’m sorry for that night
And I go back to December all the time
It turns out freedom ain’t nothin’ but missin’ you
Wishin’ I’d realized what I had when you were mine
I’d go back to December, turn around and make it alright
I go back to December all the time
Fast-forward to July 2023. Taylor Swift has just released Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), her third album re-recording. Swift, who is also in the midst of her record-breaking Eras Tour, gave her fans the surprise of a lifetime when she not only unexpectedly premiered her music video for “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” at the Kansas City stop of her tour, but also featured Lautner in the music video.
But that’s not all! Swift then proceeded to bring out Lautner on stage in Kansas City.
Needless to say, the crowd flipped out (and so did Lautner, as it were).
Swift introduced Lautner warmly. “[Lautner] was a very positive force in my life when I was making the Speak Now album, and I want to say he did every single stunt that you saw in that music video,” Swift told the audience. “He and his wife have become some of my closest friends, and it’s very convenient because we all share the same first name.” (In case you didn’t know, Taylor Lautner is married to Dome. Yes. A lot of Taylors in the mix.)
Lautner also had the chance to speak kindly of his ex-girlfriend. “I respect you so much,” said Lautner. “Not just for the singer you are, the songwriter, the performer — but truly for the human you are. You are gracious, humble, kind and I’m honored to know you.”
When we talk about breakups, we often speak about them in a negative light. We look at former partnerships as failed relationships. We are taught to believe that if something doesn’t last forever, that means it wasn’t real or worth our time.
But honestly? None of this is true. Just because something ends doesn’t mean it didn’t leave a mark. And a breakup doesn’t mean a former relationship was a failure either. Sometimes, love simply changes shape.
With some exceptions (Alexa, play “Dear John”), there are absolutely cases where a breakup can actually be a breakthrough to something else, maybe something even better and more suited for you both. If you can find it in yourself to put your pride aside, you may even get a second chance at a different type of love: friendship.
Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner are proof of this. You can absolutely make amends with an ex. You just need to be brave enough to try.