Why Jack Antonoff still performs songs about his ex wife Margaret Qualley amid split

Jack Antonoff has said that he finds power in singing love songs originally written about his now-estranged ex-wife Margaret Qualley.

The musician, 42, and actor Qualley, 32, separated over the summer after five years together. Antonoff is currently touring with his band Bleachers, performing songs he had written about Qualley like “Dirty Wedding Dress” and “You and Forever.”

Antonoff told The Guardian in a new interview: “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.’”

He continued: “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.”

“Anyone could relate to the terrible sadness and pain, but there’s a great power to it also. It’s actually been really beautiful,” Antonoff added. “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.”

He continued: “I don’t rewrite the past, I have no shame about the things I’ve said.”

“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.”

Antonoff and Qualley’s relationship inspired several pop culture moments in recent years — including Lana Del Rey’s song “Margaret” and a star-studded New Jersey wedding with guests including the likes of Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen.

Qualley appeared in three music videos for Antonoff’s band, including “Tiny Moves,” “Alma Mater” and “You and Forever.”

Antonoff, a Grammy-winning producer who is known for his longtime collaborations with Swift, Lorde and Del Rey, met Qualley at a rooftop party in 2021 and were engaged the next year.

Before they tied the knot, Qualley opened up about their relationship in a Harper’s Bazaar cover story published in October 2023, saying at the time: “It’s really exciting now to be making a home and to have something to care for. I just want to do everything with Jack. One day I want kids.”

Their wedding in August 2023 was attended by celebrities like Cara Delevingne, Channing Tatum and Zoë Kravitz.