Tom Hiddleston insists Taylor Swift romance was ‘real’ - as he explains that ‘I heart T.S’ top

The actor said he hopes people will stop embarrassing him over the infamous top
Speaking out: Tom Hiddleston has defended his relationship
GQ Magazine
Emma Powell8 February 2017
The Weekender

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Tom Hiddleston has opened up about his whirlwind romance with Taylor Swift, insisting it was “real”.

Hiddleston and Swift, or Hiddleswift as they collectively became known, enjoyed a three month romance last summer – but the union was questioned by some who deemed it “fake”.

Dismissing such claims, Hiddleston told GQ: “Taylor is an amazing woman. She’s generous and kind and lovely, and we had the best time. Of course it was real.”

The Night Manager actor appeared to confirm his love for the US pop superstar when he was pictured wearing an ‘I [heart] T.S’ tank top while celebrating the Fourth of July at her beach house last year.

Whirlwind: Tom Hiddleston and Taylor Swift looking loved up
Rex Features

Hiddleston said he was “surprised” that his choice of clothing received so much attention and explained that he wore it as a joke after hurting his back.

“The truth is it was the Fourth of July and a public holiday and we were playing a game and I slipped and hurt my back,” he said. “And I wanted to protect the graze from the sun and said, ‘Does anyone have a T-shirt?’ And one of her [Swift’s] friends said, ‘I’ve got this’ [a]nd we all laughed about it. It was a joke.”

Taylor Swift's Fourth of July celebrations 2016

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The actor – who started dating Swift after she split from DJ Calvin Harris – said he trusts the world will stop ‘embarrassing’ him over the tank top now he has explained the “context” behind it.

“I have to be so psychologically strong about not letting other people’s interpretations about my life affect my life,” he said. “A relationship exists between two people. We will always know what it was.

“The narratives that are out there altogether have been extrapolated from pictures that were taken without consent or permission, with no context. Nobody had the context for that story. And I’m still trying to work out a way of having a personal life and protecting it, but also without hiding.

“So the hardest thing is that that was a joke among friends on the Fourth of July… I just, I was surprised. I was just surprised that it got so much attention. The tank top became an emblem of this thing.”

Despite the media frenzy surrounding him and Swift he is adamant that he has no regrets “because you have to fight for love. You can’t live in fear of what people might say. You know, you have to be true to yourself.”

Hiddleston and Swift began dating in June 2016. The celebrity pair went on to meet each others parents before enjoying a romantic break in Rome. Swift also travelled to Australia to be with Hiddleston while he filmed Thor: Ragnarok on the Gold Coast before they split in September.

The news came after reports that Hiddleston wanted the couple to make their red carpet debut at the Emmy Awards but Swift was said to be less keen on the appearance.

Cover star: Tom Hiddleston on the cover of GQ
GQ Magazine

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