Taylor Swift remained cryptic when asked about that red scarf.
Speaking at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 9 to promote her 10-minute short film All Too Well, the singer spoke about the scarf she references in the song, which many of her fans have long suspected is about her ex, Jake Gyllenhaal, who she briefly dated in 2010. In the short film, Sadie Sink wears a red scarf.
"The scarf is a metaphor," Swift told a panel audience at the event, "and we turned it red because red is a very important color in this album, which is called Red."
She continued, drawing laughs, "And, I think when I say it's a metaphor, I'm just going to stop."
She then told the moderator, "And I'm going to say, thanks for the incredible question. You've really taken us for a ride."
The original version of "All Too Well" includes the lyrics, "And I left my scarf there at your sister's house / And you've still got it in your drawer, even now."
An extended version of the song, featured in the short film, also contains the lyrics, "You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would have been fine / And that made me want to die" and "And I was never good at telling jokes, but the punch line goes / 'I'll get older, but your lovers stay my age.'"
Despite the speculation about its subject, Gyllenhaal has never commented about the song and has avoided talking about his past relationship with Swift in interviews, although he did tell Howard Stern in 2015 that the singer is a "beautiful girl."
His sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal, was asked about the "All Too Well" reference on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in 2017. "You know, I never understood why everybody asked me about this scarf," the actress told host Andy Cohen. "What is this?"
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