Taylor Swift and John Mayer: What happened between Taylor Swift and John Mayer and why does everyone think Dear John is about him?

Taylor Swift He has a message for his fans: Don’t cyberbully the people I write songs about.

The star gave a speech on stage to his fans while onstage on The Eras Tour in the US, before launching into a performance of his 2010 song, Dear John. The song was in Speak Now album, which Swift will re-release on July 7.

“I was hoping to ask you that as we get closer to the release of this album, I’d love to see that kindness and sweetness extend to our internet activities,” Swift said.

“I’m 33 years old, I don’t care about anything that happened to me when I was 19, except the songs I wrote,” he continued, adding that his listeners shouldn’t “feel the need to defend myself on the internet against someone.” You think he could have written a song about 14 billion years ago.”

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He then launched into the seven-minute breakup song. Dear John, that Swifties has long believed is about her ex-boyfriend John Mayer.

This Swift plea comes on the back of 2021 releases from Red (Taylor’s Version) and Fearless (Taylor’s Version)which contained songs about her breakups with exes Jake Gyllenhaal and Joe Jonas.

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Both came under scrutiny on social media as each album was released, as wild Swifties sent hate messages to them online for weeks on end.

Taylor Swift and John Mayer had a fleeting romance rumor in 2010. (WireImage)

It seems Swift is trying to nip this behavior in the bud, encouraging her fans to keep their cool this time around.

Although she never mentioned him by name, Swift’s fans have assumed this onstage request refers to John Mayer. So what happened between the couple and why do people think Dear John is it about him?

What happened between Taylor Swift and John Mayer?

Taylor Swift and John Mayer briefly dated in 2009, when she was 19 and he was 32. He first contacted her on Twitter after Swift said her two favorite music artists were him and Kanye West.

Taylor y el rompecorazones muso salieron por un corto tiempo en 2009, pero inspiraron algunos de los ataques más agudos de Taylor en la canción. Si bien Taylor nunca confirma de quién tratan sus canciones, 'Dear John' obviamente está dirigida a él, sobre "that last email" you'd send an ex, Taylor said.

John called the song "cheap" and "humiliating"; taylor called him "presumptuous" for thinking it’s about him. Now, fans think ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ was also about Love Rat Mayer.”/><figcaption><span>Taylor Swift and John Mayer first met in 2009, after he reached out to collaborate with her. </span></figcaption></figure>
<p><span>He tweeted that he had a song titled </span><em><span>Half of my heart</span></em><span> in which he wanted Swift to collaborate. “I’d make a killer Stevie Nicks contrast to my Tom Petty of a song,” she wrote.</span></p>
<p><span>Having released her second album, Swift jumped at the chance. “I freaked out when I heard it, because I’ve been a huge fan of John for a long time,” she said. </span><em><span>elle</span></em><span> In an interview</span><em><span>.</span></em><span> “I’m really excited at the very thought that he would even mention me on his Twitter!”</span></p>
<p><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><strong><span>How Taylor Swift and Matty Healy’s ‘romance’ sparked the biggest controversy it’s had in years</span></strong></p>
<p><span>A few months later, Mayer joined her onstage at the </span><em><span>Brave</span></em><span> tour in Los Angeles to sing two songs together. In June 2009, their duo </span><em><span>Half of my heart </span></em><span>it was released as a single.</span></p>
<figure><img decoding= — John Mayer joined Taylor Swift onstage during the Fearless tour. (getty)

Although there were never any official reports of the pair being romantically involved, this is where fans have dissected the lyrics to figure out the timeline.

Is Dear John about John Mayer?

When Swift released her album Speak Now back in 2010, fans were quick to assume the track Dear John it was Mayer. His name is there, after all.

Typically, a ‘dear John’ letter is a note from a woman to a man ending their relationship.

Letters of Dear John include:

“Dear John, I see now that it was all wrong / Don’t you think nineteen is too young / To be played for your dark and twisted games, when I loved you so? / I should have known“

The pop star has never confirmed or denied who the song is about, but it appears Mayer assumed he was the subject. Two years after the song’s release, he said he “didn’t deserve” to be called out.

John Mayer reportedly wrote “Paper Doll” about Taylor Swift. (Getty Images for SiriusXM)

“It made me feel terrible. It was a really horrible thing,” Mayer said. Rolling Stone “I never got an email. I never got a phone call. It really took me by surprise.”

“(‘Dear John’ is) writing cheap songs,” he added. “It’s abusing your talent to rub your hands together and say, ‘Wait till he figures this out!’ That’s toros–t.”

It also appears that another of Swift’s exes thinks that Dear John It’s about Mayer. Taylor Lautner, who dated Swift in 2008, joked that she was “praying for John” when Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) It was announced in May.

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How long did Taylor Swift and John Mayer date?

First they performed their song. Half of my heart together onstage during Mayer’s set at the Jingle Bell Ball in 2009. Sources close “confirmed” that the pair were an item at this point.

Taylor Swift joined John Mayer onstage at the Jingle Bell Ball in late 2009. (Getty)

Neither Mayer nor Swift have spoken publicly about their relationship, but it is assumed that they dated for a few months, breaking up in June 2010.

The two were at the CMT Awards in June but didn’t interact, a moment that potentially inspired another song. History of us. She revealed in an interview that was inspired by her meeting an ex-boyfriend at an awards show.

“We’re sitting six seats away from each other and just fighting this silent war of ‘I don’t care you’re here.’ I don’t care that you’re here. It’s terribly, heartbreakingly uncomfortable.”

Swift also reveals that this was the last song she wrote for the Speak Now album, which makes sense — it was released just a few months after the CMT Awards.

What songs did John Mayer write about Taylor Swift?

In 2013, Mayer released a song titled Paper doll, about a girl who was too fragile to handle a relationship. One lyric in particular that haunted Swift fans was “Someone will paint you another sky,” which parallels the Dear John lyrics “paint me a blue sky, come back and make it rain”.

The chorus also contains the line, “you’re like twenty-two girls in one”, which could be a reference to Swift’s song. 22.

John Mayer presented Swift with an award at the CMT Awards in 2010. (Getty)

Another piece of the puzzle (maybe) fell into place in April 2023. The same day the Swift news broke split from ex-boyfriend Joe AlwynMayer chose to act Paper doll at their concert, even though it wasn’t on their regular lineup.

Maybe it was a coincidence, maybe not.

What has Taylor said about John Mayer?

Since 2010, Swift has not spoken at all about John Mayer.

The star has also not confirmed who her songs are about. Fans believe there are three songs written about the details of her relationship with Mayer: Dear John and History of us at Speak Now and Would Have Could Have Should Have about him Midnights (3AM edition).

The latter details a relationship that the singer had at the age of 19 with an older man. Lyrics include:

“I’m sure I would never have danced with the devil… At nineteen” and: “Living for the thrill of hitting you where it hurts. Give me back my childhood, it was mine first.”

Who did John Mayer date after Taylor Swift?

After his alleged relationship with 19-year-old Swift, Mayer dated singer Katy Perry from 2012 to 2014.

READ MORE: Taylor swift dating history

In 2022, he was seen leaving a restaurant with a 23-year-old. Sabrina actress Kiernan Shipka, although no relationship was confirmed.

During an interview at the call his daddy podcast in December 2022, Mayer said she was done with dating.

“Dating is no longer a coded activity for me, it doesn’t exist in some kind of… It’s not patterned anymore,” she said. Waiting for the world to change said the singer, explaining that sobriety played a big part in his decision.