Taylor Swift’s ex Joe Alwyn appears only briefly in her ‘Miss Americana’ documentary, here’s why

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Taylor Swift's ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn made a brief appearance in the 2020 documentary 'Miss Americana', which focused on his relationship with the pop star at the time.

Now, four years later, director Lana Wilson finally explained the British actor was only given a very brief appearance in Tay Tay's 2020 documentary because she felt it was "disrespectful and weird" to add him.

During a private screening of 'Miss Americana' on November 23 at the Museum of Moving Image in New York City filmmaker Wilson also revealed that it wasn't until the very end of the documentary's filming that she actually met Alwyn, per Daily Mail.

What Taylor Swift's 'Miss Americana' director said about Joe Alwyn's brief appearance

Filmmaker Lana Wilson who worked with Taylor Swift, 34, for a year on the ground-breaking documentary has revealed behind-the-scenes information, such as why the relationship between the star and Joe Alwyn was not featured.

Lana Wilson, 41, explained the 'Lover' singer's ex-boyfriend Alwyn was largely excluded from the Netflix release because the idea "never occurred to [her] in a strange way," and that it "felt disrespectful and weird" to include the 33-year-old English actor.

Wilson stated that she was not interested in showing Swift's romantic life in the movie, even though the pop icon had no problem discussing her love life. She also revealed that it wasn't until the very end of the documentary's filming that she met Alwyn.

"I didn’t even meet him till the very end, but no, because her relationships have been through the microscope, I didn’t really have any interest in filming that," Wilson said.

Wilson said of Swift, "She's been through so much, this should be private, like it's not related to the themes in the film or what I thought she was going through right then."

The filmmaker further noted that Swift was "going through something so profound and powerful" at the time.

"I thought she was going through something so profound and powerful, this real change that didn't really have anything to do with her relationships so it was never something I wanted to film actually," Wilson said.

She added, "It felt disrespectful and weird to me. It never occurred to me in a strange way."

However, the 'Conversations with Friends' star did make a few appearances. Alwyn appeared in the documentary when Swift is seen rushing into his arms backstage following a performance. The movie trailer also shows their embrace, per E! News.

The couple began dating in 2016 and mostly kept their relationship out of the public eye. After splitting in 2023, Swift moved on with 1975 frontman Matty Healy and then Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, whom she is currently dating.

'Miss Americana' features Taylor Swift's cell phone footage, concert recordings, and archive footage

The 2020 documentary 'Miss Americana' shows Taylor Swift reflecting on her upbringing, the pressures of fame, and her career achievements. It includes archive footage, interviews, recordings of Taylor Swift's concerts, and videos taken with her cellphone.

One of its most memorable moments was when Swift boldly told her father and management team that she would oppose Republican Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn and then-President Donald Trump in the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections.

She had never previously been outspoken about her political affiliations, so they contended that speaking out could cost her supporters. Her father, Scott Kingsley Swift, at one point said he's "terrified" about her safety.

Wilson responded to Netflix's question about her approach to the movie by saying she wanted to highlight Swift's creativity as the driving force behind her brand, not just her appearance, calling her "underestimated and misunderstood".

This was unexpected for the streaming service, which conveyed to Wilson how Swift had articulated her own vision for the movie in a similar manner.

According to the director, Swift particularly enjoyed their discussions about gender inequality in entertainment, which resulted in the creation of 'Miss Americana' (2020).

A week after its January 2020 Sundance Film Festival premiere, 'Miss Americana' debuted on the streaming behemoth Netflix, earning the highest rating of any artist biographical documentary.