Emma Stone has plenty of kind things to say about BFF Taylor Swift‘s ex Joe Alwyn.
Stone recently declared her love for the British actor in press production notes promoting their upcoming film Kinds of Kindness. “I love Joe,” she said. “We had to do some pretty dark stuff on this one, so it was extremely comforting to be with him because he’s one of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet.”
She also revealed that she and Alwyn have remained friends in real life, which helped them when filming difficult scenes together.
Us Weekly confirmed in April 2023 that Swift and Alwyn split after six years of dating, with the breakup — and Swift’s subsequent fling with Matty Healy — inspiring much of her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department. Alwyn and Stone, a longtime friend of the pop star, previously appeared together in 2018’s The Favourite.
Earlier this year, Stone landed in hot water with Swifties after the 2024 Golden Globes when she playfully referred to her friend as “an asshole” backstage. “I definitely won’t make a joke like that again,” Stone told Variety in February.
Stone theorized that some fans didn’t realize she was joking. “I saw headlines that really pulled it out of context,” she said before pointing to herself, saying “what a dope” she’d been.
In January, Stone won Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes for her role in Poor Things. Swift was seen in the audience cheering her on.
When Stone was asked about Swift’s enthusiastic response, she quipped in the press room, “What an asshole, am I right?”
She proceeded to gush about her friendship with the singer, saying, “I’ve known her for almost 20 years, so I’m very happy she was there. She was also nominated tonight, which was wonderful, and yeah, what an asshole.”
Stone and Swift sparked a close bond after meeting in 2008, and the two-time Oscar winner later told MTV News: “Then I listened to some of her music, and I wrote her an email saying I liked her music, I swear. And then we started talking and hanging out.”
The two supported each other at a string of events, including Stone’s Easy A premiere in 2010. The actress was on hand in 2011 to present Swift with her Teen Choice Awards trophy. The pals are said to be even closer now than they were 16 years ago, with Stone being one of Swift’s biggest cheerleaders at several Eras Tour shows last year.
When Swift released Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) in July 2023, it was also widely thought that the previously unheard track “When Emma Falls In Love” was written about Stone. The La La Land star’s “oddities” were credited on the song “Florida!!!” from TTPD.
Kinds of Kindness will be hit theaters on June 21.