Taylor Swift Surprised The Billboard Music Awards, But Someone Else Was Missing

Rumors were flying during Sunday night's Billboard Music Awards pre-show red carpet about whether Taylor Swift would make an appearance, and she did not disappoint. But is her mysterious beau, Joe Alwyn, at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards? Swift appeared to walk the carpet alone.

The notoriously private couple apparently opted not to make a public appearance together. Not only was Swift alone on the red carpet, but she also was not accompanied by Alwyn when she was shown in the crowd during the actual show. This isn't really surprising, nor does it bode badly for their relationship. Though she obviously has used her past relationships as inspiration for her music, Swift and Alwyn have been pretty low-key about their relationship.

According to People magazine, though, she did acknowledge him during one of her tour stops earlier this month. An anonymous source (so take it with a grain of salt, as always) told the outlet that Swift is "still very happy with Joe," and People also puts the duo's relationship at well past the one-year mark. Harper's Bazaar reports that the couple last went on a public date in March, when Swift and Alwyn went hiking in Malibu. Prior to that, the last time they were spotted out and about together was in December, according to the same article, so it's not exactly out of character for Alwyn to sit out any red carpet walks.

Swift also didn't take advantage of her Billboard Music Awards stage time to say anything about Joe, or to thank him after she won the award for top female artist. She instead used that airtime to cheer on female artists, plug her all-female stadium tour, and thank the women in the music industry who paved the way for the path she's on now. And though anyone who's dying for info on Alwyn might be bummed at the lack of a mention, her speech was way cooler than simply shouting out a boyfriend, anyway.

Alwyn is a relatively up and coming British actor — his IMDb only has six acting projects dating back to 2016 — so there's a chance he's just not used to the attention that comes with public appearances yet. And really, even if he had a zillion Oscars under his belt, can anybody really prepare themselves to step out on the arm of a mega-star like Swift? The attention placed on the singer goes way above and beyond that surrounding most other celebrities, no matter how successful they are. Swift's fans are always dying to know who she's seeing, and what's going on in her personal life, making it all the more understandable that the couple would want to keep things to themselves.

Despite the low profile they've kept, fans are still piecing together clues about the relationship. There are rumors that Swift herself told fans during private Reputation meet and greets that some of her newest songs were about Alwyn. Others have dissected her changes to Earth, Wind & Fire's "September," theorizing that one of the updated lyrics hints at the date they officially began their relationship. People were even speculating based on Swift's mood at the Billboard Music Awards that she seems happier than she has in the past, and attributing that to a happy relationship with Alwyn — but of course, who knows.

Of course, until the two of them make a red carpet debut together, or explicitly make some kind of statement acknowledging their relationship, nobody really knows anything, nor is it really anyone else's business. But becoming invested in celeb relationships is something that's hard not to do, and if Swift is happy, then it looks like her fans are happy too, even if Alwyn hasn't stepped out onto the carpet with her.