From Taylor Swift and Alyssa Miller to Jeanne Cadieu, Jake Gyllenhaal has gotten into a few controversial relationships. Each one of them prompted a different type of fuss.
Why? Well, it all comes down to Jake Gyllenhaal’s age—the age gaps in his relationships, to be more specific. If you’re curious to know more, keep reading to see what the fuss is about.
What is Jake Gyllenhaal’s Age?
Born on December 19, 1980, Gyllenhaal turned 44 a few weeks before writing this post. Yes, he’s not that young, which makes his romantic history a bit too disturbing.
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Jake Gyllenhaal’s Romantic History
Jake Gyllnhaal’s romantic life has been a controversial topic in the entertainment industry for years. Let’s just say his previous partners were too young for him.
Let me go over his romantic past to paint you a more comprehensive picture.
Taylor Swift
Even if you’re not a Taylor Swift or Jake Gyllenhaal fan, you’ve probably heard about their eyebrow-raising relationship. The media first started suspecting they were a couple in 2010 when the two were spotted backstage at Saturday Night Live.

Image source: Google
From that day forward, people saw Gyllenhaal and Swift everywhere together, whether grabbing brunch in Brooklyn or driving around Los Angeles.
Normally, people get excited about celebrity relationships, but this one was too appalling because Gyllenhaal was 29 while Swift was almost 20 back then. So, you can see why the public wasn’t a fan.
Ultimately, though, the relationship only lasted a few months before the couple decided to split. A few weeks afterward, rumors started flying that they were back together.
They were seen having dinner at a restaurant in Nashville, but they didn’t show any affection toward each other. So, that reunion might not have been for romantic purposes.
Although the hype over the relationship died years ago, Swift decided to bring it back with her 2022 album, Red. Swifties speculate that many of the songs in that album, especially “All Too Well,” were about their relationship and how Gyllenhaal mistreated her.
Boy did they eat that album up, analyzing and connecting all the songs to get all the details of their time together? Luckily, the hype has died down, but the controversy behind Gyllenhaal’s romantic life hasn’t.
Alyssa Miller
In “All Too Well,” Swift sings about how Gyllenhaal didn’t like the significant age gap between them. So, you’d think he’d choose someone his age in the following relationship, but no.
Gyllenhaal surprised everyone in 2013 when he was spotted with Sports Illustrated model Alyssa Miller. Apparently, the two met at a New York gym, quickly took a liking to each other, and started dating.

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The public started suspecting the two were a couple when they were riding bikes through the city. Everyone could tell they were together because they were all lovey-dovey with a lot of PDA.
What was the age gap this time? The same with Taylor Swift. Nine years. I’m starting to sense a pattern here. The couple didn’t last that long, but the age gap wasn’t why they split this time.
What was it then? Jake Gyllenhaal’s training routine.

Image source: IMDb
Yes, I know it sounds weird, so let me explain. The Donnie Darko actor was preparing for one of his most demanding roles: Southpaw. To play the role of a fighter Gyllenhaal had to train like a fighter, which meant spending all his time at the gym.
He had little to no time to spend with his then-girlfriend, which isn’t the best way to build a relationship. So, the couple eventually broke up.
Jeanne Cadieu
Jeanne Cadieu might be Gyllenhaal’s most controversial partner. Why? Because, unlike the actor’s previous partners, this one is 16 years younger than him.
The couple has been going strong since 2018, and despite the significant age gap, Gyllenhaal doesn’t hesitate to accompany Cadieu to public events. Their most recent appearance was at the 2025 Golden Globes, and they were showing off how much of a power couple they are.

Image source: People
Will this be the relationship that gets the famous actor to settle down? Well, Gyllenhaal has stated that all he wanted was to be a good husband and father while he was with Cadieu. So, maybe he’ll get to do that with the French model.
Wrapping Up
Ultimately, Jake Gyllenhaal’s age isn’t a controversial matter in and of itself. It’s how he chooses relationships with an unconventional age gap that causes people to talk.
Despite the controversy surrounding his past relationships, Gyllenhaal remains one of the most popular and beloved actors in Hollywood today. Do with that what you will.
Featured image source: Pinterest