When Taylor Swift released The Tortured Poets Department, many concluded that it was a direct reference to the film Dead Poets' Society or Joe Alwyn's group chat, "The Tortured Man Club."
For those who do not know, "The Tortured Man Club" was the name of the Whatsapp group chat between Swift's ex-boyfriend, Alwyn, and actors Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott.
In a new interview with Variety, Scott discussed the existence and death of such a group chat. "The Tortured Man Club" was mentioned during the 2022 edition of the Variety Actors on Actors conversation between Alwyn and Mescal.
"So they were about to play these tortured characters, and I had played a tortured character in 'Fleabag.' It wasn't about our own characteristics!" Scott explained to the publication, citing the characters of Alwyn and Mescal in Conversations With Friends and Normal People.
"I think there were three texts, like, 'Hey, guys.' You know those groups that you set up, and they just collapse," Scott revealed.
Conversations about the group chat were revived when Swift released the album title of her new album, sparking discussions of its origins.
The Daily Mail sources reported that Alwyn was scared that the album would be a diss toward him after their shocking breakup.
"It's undeniable that the name of her upcoming album is in reference to Joe's WhatsApp group chat," the source said. "Taylor knocked him for the name of this when they were together. She didn't want people to think that it had anything to do with her, so when he spoke out about it, she was, of course, bothered."
Scott talked about Swift's The Tortured Poets Department in the Variety interview and raved about its brilliance.
"Taylor's new album is sensational! I texted her yesterday to say how amazing it is," he told the publication. "I think she is just a force of nature, just an extraordinary human, and this album is really, really amazing."
Scott revealed that his favorite song from the 31-track album was "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived," which Swifties believed was written for Swift's first boyfriend after Alwyn - The 1975 vocalist Matty Healy.
Many thought Swift's line, "Gazing at me, starry-eyed / In your Jehovah's Witness suit," directly references Healy. The New Yorker described Healy's signature outfit as a "close-cut suit and a tie," which is also the same one famously worn by those members of the religious sect.
Listen to Swift's The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" below.
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