Jennifer Stanley wrote her first piece of fan fiction in November of 2014. She titled it "Wildest Dreams" after the popular Taylor Swift song. In the story, Swift bumps into actor Tom Hiddleston (who is not allergic to cats) at the 2015 Met Gala. One thing leads to another, and the two begin a whirlwind romance and become Hiddleswift.
The description of the work on ArichiveOfOurOwn.Org, reads as follows:
"Taylor Swift x Tom Hiddleston (A.K.A. "Hiddleswift" as my friends and I call this pairing), one-shot smut, split into five chapters. Written to "Wildest Dreams" from Taylor Swift's 1989 Album. Tom and Taylor bump into each other in New York at the Met Gala in 2015, and who knows where the night just might take these two?"
Does this all sound very familiar? It might be because this scenario is unraveling before our eyes.
First, there was the dance-off at the 2016 Met Gala.
Then, there were the not-so-subtle kissing pictures of the two that surfaced on June 15.
Now, Refinery29 talks to the 22-year-old law school student via email (she's currently on vacation, but was eager to share her side of the story with us) who basically blew the internet's mind by predicting the Hiddleswift union nearly two years ago. Since "Wildest Dreams," she has written numerous follow-up pieces about the Hiddleswift romance, and now she plans to expand on that.
She tells us her source of inspiration, her real feelings about the rumored couple, and how she's as freaked out as we are — "I'm still in complete shock over them happening, considering I never thought it would in my wildest dreams (pun intended)," she joked.
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Photo Courtesy of Subject.
Jennifer Stanley, the writer and predictor of Hiddleswift.
So, do you feel like a psychic?
"Honestly, no? Yet, at the same time yes? If that even makes sense somehow, because it doesn't even to me. Part of me feels like I just got lucky, while the other part thinks perhaps a gut feeling somehow went into it. I don't even know anymore, I swear. I am still trying to figure this out."
"Honestly, no? Yet, at the same time yes? If that even makes sense somehow, because it doesn't even to me. Part of me feels like I just got lucky, while the other part thinks perhaps a gut feeling somehow went into it. I don't even know anymore, I swear. I am still trying to figure this out."
Can you give me a little insight into what goes into a fan fiction post, and what inspired you to write it.
"When I was on midterm break [from school in 2014] and decided to finally give in and watch The Avengers on Netflix. I don't know how to explain it, but I just fell for Tom. Naturally, I started to look him up and learned about some qualities of his, which I especially adore and actually have in common with him, such as a passion for running, singing, and dancing. This, and how positive and optimistic he is, really made me think how much him and Taylor would get along. I've been a strong Swiftie for 10 years now, and I just decided to combine my two favorite people together. It wasn't until finals week that I decided to finally write a fan fiction piece because I just couldn't take that there was nothing out there on them. "But I knew since they are in two different fields of work that most likely they'd never cross paths at an event, so I just decided to do one Google search to figure an event their paths could cross at. The only possible one was the Met Gala, so I chose it that way my fan fiction could be at least backed up by some quick research. "Most of my fan fiction posts are based of music inspiration. As of late, Ariana Grande has really been a huge source of music inspiration for my pieces, and so has Taylor's own music, naturally. But really, sometimes I'm on the elliptical and I'll kind of just get an idea based off the song I'm listening to. Also, I do pull from a lot of personal events and relationships that have happened in my life/currently are in my life."
"When I was on midterm break [from school in 2014] and decided to finally give in and watch The Avengers on Netflix. I don't know how to explain it, but I just fell for Tom. Naturally, I started to look him up and learned about some qualities of his, which I especially adore and actually have in common with him, such as a passion for running, singing, and dancing. This, and how positive and optimistic he is, really made me think how much him and Taylor would get along. I've been a strong Swiftie for 10 years now, and I just decided to combine my two favorite people together. It wasn't until finals week that I decided to finally write a fan fiction piece because I just couldn't take that there was nothing out there on them. "But I knew since they are in two different fields of work that most likely they'd never cross paths at an event, so I just decided to do one Google search to figure an event their paths could cross at. The only possible one was the Met Gala, so I chose it that way my fan fiction could be at least backed up by some quick research. "Most of my fan fiction posts are based of music inspiration. As of late, Ariana Grande has really been a huge source of music inspiration for my pieces, and so has Taylor's own music, naturally. But really, sometimes I'm on the elliptical and I'll kind of just get an idea based off the song I'm listening to. Also, I do pull from a lot of personal events and relationships that have happened in my life/currently are in my life."
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I gather that you love Tom, so when did that fandom start?
"What really made me love him is that when I discovered I was going through a really rough time in my life. I started running long distance competitively when I was 10 until I was 18. I continued to run long distance past then because it has really gotten me through the lowest points in my life; I can't even explain how running makes me feel to be honest. There's nothing that compares. After I registered for my first and last half-marathon in May of 2014, my right kneecap started popping out of place, so I was advised to stop running. I decided to keep going anyway because I wanted to go out doing what I love the most in life, rather than stop completely... I ran [the marathon] even though I was in a lot of pain. I was also so immensely happy. But after that I had to face that I could never run again, and that was my last run. "Tom always says to do what you're passionate about, and I'm like that with running, my career and education goals, and other things. I resonated with him so much with that — his constant optimism — because I am for sure an optimist too and love for running."
"What really made me love him is that when I discovered I was going through a really rough time in my life. I started running long distance competitively when I was 10 until I was 18. I continued to run long distance past then because it has really gotten me through the lowest points in my life; I can't even explain how running makes me feel to be honest. There's nothing that compares. After I registered for my first and last half-marathon in May of 2014, my right kneecap started popping out of place, so I was advised to stop running. I decided to keep going anyway because I wanted to go out doing what I love the most in life, rather than stop completely... I ran [the marathon] even though I was in a lot of pain. I was also so immensely happy. But after that I had to face that I could never run again, and that was my last run. "Tom always says to do what you're passionate about, and I'm like that with running, my career and education goals, and other things. I resonated with him so much with that — his constant optimism — because I am for sure an optimist too and love for running."
If you could set him up with any celeb who would it be?
"Taylor Swift, obviously! Other than her, most likely Hayley Atwell [who often portrays another Marvel character, Peggy Carter.]"
"Taylor Swift, obviously! Other than her, most likely Hayley Atwell [who often portrays another Marvel character, Peggy Carter.]"
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What do you think of Swift?
"I LOVE Taylor! Everyone knows me for that. People tell me I'm the first person that comes to mind when anything related to her comes up. I actually have a tattoo in her handwriting that says "believe in the run." I do have to add, though, that I don't think she's perfect. No one is. There are people that love celebrities like her but sometimes get so blinded by that love that they deny any possible mistakes they can make. "But I think when you actually love, and admire someone, you're supportive of whatever they do, while being critical in the sense that they make mistakes just like you. Celebrities aren't immune — Taylor isn't, and neither is Tom. I'm not perfect either."
"I LOVE Taylor! Everyone knows me for that. People tell me I'm the first person that comes to mind when anything related to her comes up. I actually have a tattoo in her handwriting that says "believe in the run." I do have to add, though, that I don't think she's perfect. No one is. There are people that love celebrities like her but sometimes get so blinded by that love that they deny any possible mistakes they can make. "But I think when you actually love, and admire someone, you're supportive of whatever they do, while being critical in the sense that they make mistakes just like you. Celebrities aren't immune — Taylor isn't, and neither is Tom. I'm not perfect either."
I also noticed on your Tumblr that Swift follows your account. Do you think she might have read the story, and been thinking about it all these years?!
"I'm not sure if Taylor read any of what I've written at all. I'm actually really scared she and Tom will judge me so hard now if they do read my works. I know she follows a ton of users also, so I'm not sure if she's seen my reblogs of Tom at all on her dashboard. To be honest, though, it'd be a dream come true of mine if I somehow get to meet them through this wild mess. Both have made such a strong impact on my life, and I'm over the moon that somehow this has actually happened. But could you imagine if somehow my posting, and perhaps others that she follows that do post about Tom, somehow made an impact on them getting together?!"
You also wrote that you have the same birthday as Tom Hiddleston which is a pretty crazy coincidence too.
"YES! Oh my god, I'm still shocked about it now two years later. I didn't even know until two months after I discovered him when I was wondering about his birthday, and when I saw it I was sitting in my room in awe for a few minutes. Plus, he and I are separated by 13 years [a favorite number of Swift's], since I was born in 1994 and he in 1981 (obvious Taylor Swift reference there). Like, how?! I can't even explain it!"
"I'm not sure if Taylor read any of what I've written at all. I'm actually really scared she and Tom will judge me so hard now if they do read my works. I know she follows a ton of users also, so I'm not sure if she's seen my reblogs of Tom at all on her dashboard. To be honest, though, it'd be a dream come true of mine if I somehow get to meet them through this wild mess. Both have made such a strong impact on my life, and I'm over the moon that somehow this has actually happened. But could you imagine if somehow my posting, and perhaps others that she follows that do post about Tom, somehow made an impact on them getting together?!"
You also wrote that you have the same birthday as Tom Hiddleston which is a pretty crazy coincidence too.
"YES! Oh my god, I'm still shocked about it now two years later. I didn't even know until two months after I discovered him when I was wondering about his birthday, and when I saw it I was sitting in my room in awe for a few minutes. Plus, he and I are separated by 13 years [a favorite number of Swift's], since I was born in 1994 and he in 1981 (obvious Taylor Swift reference there). Like, how?! I can't even explain it!"
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How did you react when you heard the news? How many people do you think read "Wildest Dreams" when you first wrote it?
"I'm currently in Wausau, Wisconsin on a business/vacation trip with my father. We were at an awards ceremony and in the midst of it we were told there's a tornado warning so we had to take shelter. Granted, I already had two glasses of wine and this was my first serious tornado warning ever so I was a little nervous. We all went to a furnace room, and I was talking to a bunch of business professionals when my phone started going off like crazy with Tumblr and text notifications. "So, the entire time I was pretty much internally screaming while trying to ignore my constantly vibrating phone in my purse. As soon as the event ended, I spent another three hours trying to hold it all in while I was getting so many more messages, tons of followers, and notes on my posts. "Currently, my heart is beating frantically and I'm wondering if this is all a dream. And when I double check tomorrow to make sure it wasn't, I don't even know what I'm going to do."
"I'm currently in Wausau, Wisconsin on a business/vacation trip with my father. We were at an awards ceremony and in the midst of it we were told there's a tornado warning so we had to take shelter. Granted, I already had two glasses of wine and this was my first serious tornado warning ever so I was a little nervous. We all went to a furnace room, and I was talking to a bunch of business professionals when my phone started going off like crazy with Tumblr and text notifications. "So, the entire time I was pretty much internally screaming while trying to ignore my constantly vibrating phone in my purse. As soon as the event ended, I spent another three hours trying to hold it all in while I was getting so many more messages, tons of followers, and notes on my posts. "Currently, my heart is beating frantically and I'm wondering if this is all a dream. And when I double check tomorrow to make sure it wasn't, I don't even know what I'm going to do."
Are you going to add on to it now?
"Crazy thing is, at the end of last week I started a new fan fiction piece called "Moonlight" that's based on Calvin and Taylor breaking up; what I think happened between her and Tom, and their relationship after. I do plan on writing an alternate ending to "I Know Places," continue to write "Moonlight," and make more pieces of fan fiction."
"Crazy thing is, at the end of last week I started a new fan fiction piece called "Moonlight" that's based on Calvin and Taylor breaking up; what I think happened between her and Tom, and their relationship after. I do plan on writing an alternate ending to "I Know Places," continue to write "Moonlight," and make more pieces of fan fiction."