Times Taylor Swift And Taylor Lautner Proved You Can Be Besties With Your Ex

Along with her record-setting awards and top-charting hits, Taylor Swift is known for her long list of ex-lovers and the perfect rhymes they inspired. Though some scathing breakup songs and heart-wrenching ballads have resulted from her love affairs, this doesn't mean that her relationships with her exes are forever tainted with bad blood.

In fact, many of the singer's splits have turned into eventual reconciliations and even unlikely friendships, with Taylor Lautner being a great example of an old flame she remained close with. If you're unfamiliar, Lautner is most known for playing the role of Jacob Black in the "Twilight" franchise, but he's also appeared in movies like "Abduction" and shows such as "Scream Queens." Lautner and Swift began their relationship in late 2009 when they were teenagers.

The couple broke up after roughly three months, with the separation resulting in "Back to December," a song off Swift's "Speak Now" album that expresses regret at not reciprocating the efforts of a well-intended lover. Ever since their breakup, Swift and Lautner have repeatedly proved that you can still be besties with your ex.

While drama has followed some of Taylor Swift's other breakups, her split from Taylor Lautner appears to be one of her more amicable ones. In March of 2010, the year following their breakup, the two were spotted by Just Jared having a platonic lunch date with their publicists, giving fans initial hints of a friendly reconciliation. Then, in an interview with Glamour promoting the yet-released "Speak Now" album, Swift was asked if she remained friends with her former werewolf beau. "Absolutely! He's one of my best friends," she answered. "He's wonderful, and we'll always be close. I'm so thankful for that."

The release of "Back to December" provided more insight into what transpired between the couple and cemented Lautner as a fan-favorite ex among Swifties. The song is arguably one of the most positive post-breakup portrayals from Swift's catalog, with the singer recognizing all the unreciprocated efforts made by Lautner and expressing regret at her carelessness.

As a marker of the Lautner-Swift friendship, "Back to December" shows the importance of recognizing and apologizing for your own wrongdoings in a relationship. This song coupled with the duo's publicly positive relationship following their split undoubtedly points to the enduring connection between the two.

While Taylor Swift was vocal about her ongoing friendship with ex Taylor Lautner, the "New Moon" star was much more reticent in the years following their breakup. It wasn't until 2016 that Lautner publicly acknowledged that "Back to December" was written about him and only did so after being prompted by his "Scream Queens" co-star Lea Michelle during a promotional live stream.

However, his comments since then point to his positive perception of the song. During an Epic Con interview in 2022, Lautner was asked by an audience member if he was upset that Swift wrote a song about him. "No, the answer is no. I'm definitely not upset that she did," he said. Then he lightheartedly added, "It was a good song! It's a positive one — most people didn't get a nice one."

After "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" was announced in May 2023, Lautner was asked how he felt about the impending re-release of the album that featured "Back to December." While other Swift exes have girded themselves for the onslaught of attention stirred up by the rerecords of their iconic breakup songs, Lautner wasn't concerned. "I think it's a great album. Yeah, I feel safe," he told Today. He went on to add that he was praying for John Mayer, the infamous subject of the hard-hitting track "Dear John." If there's one thing that Lautner's positive tone demonstrates about his perspective on "Back to December," it's that exes don't have to be at odds about their history.

Following the release of "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)," Taylor Swift celebrated her long-time friendship with her ex Taylor Lautner in a very public way. Along with Joey King and Presley Cash, actors who both appeared in Swift's original 2011 music video for "Mean," Lautner starred in the "I Can See You (Taylor's Version)" music video, a vault track off the rerecorded album.

The video, which Swift debuted on July 7 during a Kansas City stop on her Eras Tour, showed the three stars pulling off an elaborate heist of Swift and her "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" album. The action-packed video was filled with callbacks to previous moments in her career, including a shot of Lautner standing in front of a white piano from her "Back to December" performances.

In a social media post, Swift commented on the music video, shouting out the trio from her past. "I wrote this video treatment over a year ago and really wanted to play out symbolically how it's felt for me to have the fans helping me reclaim my music," she wrote. "I had my heart set on @JoeyKing, Taylor Lautner and @IAmPresleyCash starring in it. Joey and Presley had been in the video for 'Mean' when they were 9 and 13 and they are back and so ridiculously bad ass!! Taytay is INCREDIBLE in this (didn't have a stunt double!)."

In addition to featuring Taylor Lautner in her "I Can See You (Taylor's Version)" music video, Taylor Swift also brought out her old flame after its concert debut. Lautner documented his experience in an Instagram video, showing him, Joey King, and Presley Cash reacting to the live premiere of the video and then waiting backstage to be introduced by Swift.

After riling up the crowd with an unplanned flip and cartwheel, Lautner took the mic to give a heartwarming speech about his long-time friend, expressing his admiration for her. "[Taylor] I respect you so much," Lautner said. "Not for the singer you are, the songwriter, the performer, but truly for the human you are. You are gracious, humble, kind, and I am honored to know you."

One of our favorite Lautner-Swift friendship moments, the on-stage speech from Lautner shows just how much this duo means to one another. If this doesn't prove that you can be besties with your ex, then we don't know what does.

Taylor Swift's positive interactions with Taylor Lautner and his wife, Taylor Dome Lautner, is another indicator of the exes' longtime friendship. If you're unfamiliar, Lautner married Taylor "Tay" Dome, now Taylor Lautner, in November of 2022. Dome is a registered nurse, mental health advocate, and podcast host.

Before dating Lautner, Dome was a long-time fan of Swift, something that hasn't changed since marrying the musician's old flame. After Lautner appeared on-stage at the Eras Tour, Dome took to Instagram to commemorate the experience and appreciate her friendship with Swift. "@taylorswift you are not only one of the most talented people to ever walk this earth (truly don't think there is anything you can't do) but you are also one of THE kindest people," she captioned a photo of her, Lautner, and Swift.

"You welcomed my husband and I into your camp with open arms and the warmest heart. The way you are so down to earth and authentically yourself after all these years of being in the spotlight is inspiring. Your passion for your work and genuine love for your fans is something so incredible. I am honored to call you a friend," Dome continued. Lautner also posted about the trio's friendship following his Eras Tour appearance, featuring an Instagram photo of the three of them recreating an iconic Spiderman meme in reference to their shared name. The positive connection between Swift, Lautner, and his wife is just another hallmark of the two's enduring friendship.