Jack Antonoff addressed the split from Margaret Qualley, three months after the confirmation that their marriage had ended. He talked about performing songs that he wrote for her.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleJack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley were once a much-loved couple. The duo started dating in 2021, and in 2023 they tied the knot. Earlier this year, speculation was rife that Jack and Margaret faced a tough phase in their marital life, which sparked divorce buzz.
Three months ago, PEOPLE confirmed that Jack and Margaret indeed decided to end their marriage and move forward. This means the couple's marriage lasted for three years, as they separated in July 2026. Now, Jack, for the first time, publicly addressed his split from Margaret Qualley while speaking about his feelings about performing songs that he wrote for her.
Jack Antonoff is currently touring with his band, Bleachers, and in a recent interview with The Guardian, he shared that it had really been 'beautiful' to perform the songs he wrote about his personal relationship with 32-year-old actress Margaret Qualley. In the interview, Jack said he worried about performing songs about his muse because the relationship and split were public.
Jack had to sit with himself and think about it. He also considered changing the setlist, but a voice inside him kept telling him he had to deal with it and tell his audience exactly how he felt. Jack could be quoted as saying:
“Songs which I wrote recently, I obviously was really worried about this specific thing. I sat long and hard with it and thought, ‘If I change the setlist …’ and in my gut there was a unanimous jury that said, ‘No, this is the deal. The deal I’ve made with my audience is that I’m going to tell you honestly how I feel and I’m going to risk at any moment having to stand behind it for f---ing ever.’ ”
According to Jack Antonoff, anyone can relate to the song's lyrics and understand the sadness and pain, but it has real power. He feels it's beautiful that his fans know his art, what he writes about, and how it feels. Jack also talked about performing songs he wrote about the good times with his former spouse.
And while it seems like a hard thing to do, it wasn't for Jack, because he refuses to rewrite the past; he thinks he needs to live through it publicly rather than try to escape it. In Jack Antonoff's words:
"My life has been dedicated to making it impossible for me to rewrite the past, because I’m standing there, singing about how I felt during the good times, so when the bad times hit I can’t look myself in the mirror and pretend that those times didn’t exist. I would rather live through something publicly than even escape it privately."
Last month, during Bleachers' tour, Jack Antonoff reacted to someone commenting on his marriage. It was during the final show after the band's five-night residency at the Troubadour in Los Angeles that a fan mentioned the band's song, Marry Me, which was released back in 2017.
The concertgoer mentioned that the song was Jack's wedding song, according to footage shared by USA Today. Jack replied by saying, 'Absolutely not,' while adding, 'Read the news, brother.' He then clarified that he wrote that song nearly 11 years ago.
Jack and Margaret Qualley's divorce buzz began earlier this year, with industry insiders claiming that the duo's marriage had become rocky. Some sources also claimed that they were figuring things out. No sooner had Jack attended Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding along with his sister, sans Margaret, than the buzz intensified. It was said that several factors led the couple to opt for separation.
Margaret also deleted the majority of their wedding photos from her Instagram, which kept the buzz ongoing. Following this, the actress' rep confirmed the report about the duo's split, stating, "There was no infidelity or anything outside of respect and partnership."
What do you think of Jack Antonoff's comments about the split and his feelings about performing songs about his ex, Margaret Qualley?
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