Originally appeared on E! Online
Jack Antonoff is making tiny moves forward after his split from Margaret Qualley.
Three months after the pair’s breakup, The Bleachers singer revealed the sweet reason he has no intentions of knocking love songs about the Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood actress off the band’s setlist.
“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,'” Antonoff told The Guardian in an interview published Oct. 25. “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–king ever.”
Indeed, it’s that vulnerability that allows the 42-year-old to connect deeply with his listeners.
More from E! Online
“Anyone could relate to the terrible sadness and pain, but there’s a great power to it also. It’s actually been really beautiful,” the Grammy winner explained. “I mean, for people to come together, to know what I write a song about, to know how that must feel for me now, to know what that song means to you as an audience member, to just hold it all and sort of celebrate.”
And while Antonoff—who wed Qualley in 2023—shared that he can’t “rewrite the past,” he also has no intentions of erasing it.
“I have no shame about the things I’ve said,” he admitted. “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.”
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
In July, a rep for Qualley, 32, confirmed in a statement to E! News that she and Antonoff had broken up after nearly three years of marriage, while also shutting down “categorically untrue” narratives concerning the reason for their split.
“There are no trust issues,” the rep said. “There was no infidelity or anything outside of respect and partnership in this relationship.”
In fact, Qualley’s rep emphasized she and Antonoff “have deep love and care for one another.”
Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
And while Antonoff seems to have adopted a positive attitude when it comes to singing Qualley-inspired love songs, that wasn’t always the case.
After all, he made his first comments about the split when a fan asked him to play his 2017 track “Let’s Get Married” during his Sept. 15 performance at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, a request the musician jokingly shut down, replying, “Absolutely not.”
“Read the news, brother,” Antonoff added in a video of the moment shared to social media, before admitting, “No, I love that song.”
Keep reading for more celeb couples who called it quits this year…
Minka Kelly & Dan Reynolds
Justin Rose & Whitney Rose
Audrina Patridge & Michael Ray
The Hills alum confirmed her romance with the “Whiskey and Rain” singer had ended after two years of dating.
J Balvin & Valentina Ferrer
The “Mi Gente” singer (real name José Álvaro Osorio Balvín) and the model broke up after nearly 10 years of dating.
“After sharing so many years and important moments together, Jose and I have decided to go our separate ways,” Ferrer wrote on her instagram Story Sept. 16. “It has been a decision made out of love, respect, and the desire to do the best for our family.”
Noting that co-parenting son Rio “with all our love” is top priority, she added, “We are living this process with ease and deeply appreciate the understanding and respect towards this time so personal to us.”
Amanda Seyfried & Thomas Sadoski
“We have been separated for a while, and it’s proven to be the right move for us and our family unit,” the Mean Girls alum and the Newsroom actor told People in a joint statement Sept. 15. “We’ve got each other forever—and it’s GOOD.”
Dakota Johnson & Role Model
On Aug. 19, multiple outlets reported that the Fifty Shades of Grey star and the “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” singer broke up less than one year after sparking dating rumors.
Kelly Osbourne & Sid Wilson
The Fashion Police alum confirmed her split from the musician amid reports that he had been fired from Slipknot, writing on Instagram Stories Aug. 3, “Strange how the loudest defense of the guilty is rarely innocence… It’s distraction.”
“I will not take your s–t anymore! I’m done,” she added. “Leave me alone. Let me heal. I can’t protect you from yourself anymore.”
Joey Bada$$ & Serayah
The Empire actress confirmed the former couple had called off their engagement and ended their three-year relationship in a lengthy Instagram statement.
“I loved deeply,” Serayah wrote in the Aug. 25 post. “Believed wholeheartedly in the life we were building, and wanted nothing more than to protect our family.”
Whitney Rose & Justin Rose
Jessie J & Chanan Colman
“It has been a sad and difficult situation, but we have been focused on navigating the change privately and positively for a healthy and happy co parenting environment for our son, and ourselves,” the pair—parents to Sky Safir Cornish Colman—shared in a July 20 statement. “Unfortunately being in the public eye this is the easiest way to let people know the truth, before rumours circulate or a false narrative is written.”
Julia Garner & Mark Foster
After nearly seven years of marriage, E! News confirmed July 16 that the Ozark actress and Foster the People frontman had split. Though the pair did not immediately speak publicly on their breakup, they wiped their Instagram accounts of their pictures together.
Angie Katsanevas & Shawn Trujillo
Nearly three decades after tying the knot, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star and her husband have separated, according to multiple outlets.
The pair, who share 15-year-old daughter Elektra, tied the knot in June 1999 and have since built a hair salon empire, which they co-own.
Matt Rogers & Fraser Olender
After the Las Culturistas podcast host and Below Deck star began dating in the summer of 2025 following an Instagram meet-cute, E! News confirmed July 16 that the pair mutually decided to part ways and remain friends.
Frankie Muniz & Paige Price
The Malcolm in the Middle star shared that he and Price were splitting up after six years of marriage.
“After 10 beautiful years together, we’ve grown in ways that made us realize our relationship feels most natural and strong as a deep friendship and as co-parents,” Muniz and Price wrote in a joint Instagram post July 1. “We share an incredible son who remains the center of our world, and we’re both happier, stronger parents because of the love and growth we’ve shared.”
The two welcomed son MauzMosleyMuniz in March 2021.
Jack White & Olivia Jean
The White Stripes frontman’s wife of four years filed for divorce on June 3 in Nashville, citing “irreconcilable differences and inappropriate marital conduct” as the reason for breakup, per court documents obtained by E! News.
Jelly Roll & Bunnie Xo
The “Amen” singer filed for divorce from the Dumb Blonde podcast host after nearly 10 years of marriage on May 18, according to court records obtained by E! News.
The pair denied cheating was involved, sharing that they remain on good terms. In fact, Bunnie said she and Jelly Roll are “still having a baby” together after embarking on an IVF journey years ago.
Ariana Grande & Ethan Slater
After nearly three years together, the former Wicked costars’ split was confirmed in June, with a source telling E! News it was “amicable” and they had been separated “for months.”
Alex Rodriguez & Jaclyn Cordeiro
The fitness trainer confirmed that she and the former MLB star had broken up after three years of dating.
“To clarify, Alex and I are currently taking some time apart but there continues to be mutual love, care, and deep respect between us and for our families,” Jaclyn told TMZ in a May statement. “We remain supportive of one another, and there is absolutely no animosity, drama, or negative story here.”
Chyler Leigh & Nathan West
The Grey’s Anatomy alum confirmed in May that she and her husband—who share kids Noah, Taeyln and Anniston—quietly broke up after more than two decades of marriage.
Jason Biggs & Jenny Mollen
After nearly 20 years of marriage, the American Pie star and the Angel alum split, their rep confirmed to E! News May 14.
Despite ending their romance the couple’s rep emphasized the remain on “great terms” and are committed to coparenting their sons Sid and Lazlo.
Megan Thee Stalion & Klay Thompson
“I’ve made the decision to end my relationship with Klay,” the rapper told E! News in an April 25 statement. “Trust, fidelity and respect are non-negotiable for me in a relationship, and when those values are compromised, there’s no real path forward.”
The statement came shortly after Megan accused the NBA star of cheating, writing on her Instagram Story, “Holding you down through all your HORRIBLE mood swings and treatment towards me during your basketball season now you don’t know if you can be ‘monogamous’????”
Haylie Duff & Matthew Rosenberg
The Material Girls actress and her fiancé called it quits after 14 years together.
“Haylie and Matt ended their relationship around the first of the year,” Haylie’s rep told multipleoutlets. “She asks for privacy at this time in protection of her young daughters.”
The estranged couple share daughters Ryan, born in 2015, and Lulu, born in 2018.
Megan Rapinoe & Sue Bird
The soccer legend and WNBA star, who met preparing while preparing for the 2016 Rio Olympics, announced their breakup in April.
“After a lot of thought, we’ve made the decision to separate as a couple,” they wrote in a joint statement shared to Instagram April 17. “This hasn’t been an easy decision, but it’s one we’ve made together, with so much love, respect, and care for each other.”
Megan and Sue added, “We’ve shared a whole life over the last decade, through big moments and in quiet ones, and that is something we’ll always carry with us.”
Sai de Silva & David Craig
The Real Housewives of New York star’s husband filed for divorce on April 2 after nine years of marriage, according to a court docket viewed by E! News.
In the filing, David is listed as the plaintiff, filing for a summons and complaint, or instigation of a lawsuit. Sai—mom to London and Rio with David—is listed as the defendant and has yet to address the filing publicly.
Sai joined RHONY in its 2023 recast season and addressed rumors that she “stole” her husband from his previous wife while on the reality show.
“I met David six years after he got a divorce,” Sai said during the ninth episode of season 15. “I have his divorce paperwork.”
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Source link
