Jack Antonoff Opens Up About Margaret Qualley Split and Why He Still Sings the Songs He Wrote for Her

Rather than reworking his setlist after the breakup, the musician has chosen to face his past head-on. Here's what he had to say about turning heartbreak into a shared moment with his fans.

Jack Antonoff has opened up about performing the love songs he wrote for his estranged wife, Margaret Qualley, months after news of their split made headlines. The songwriter and producer reflected on the experience while on tour with his band, Bleachers.

In a new profile interview for The Guardian, published Sunday, October 25, Antonoff said that performing tracks inspired by his relationship with the 32-year-old actress has been "really beautiful." He added that even if it weren't, he wouldn't do things any other way.

The candid remarks mark the first time the frontman has addressed the split in an interview, and they come three months after reports surfaced that the couple had separated after nearly three years of marriage.

Since the breakup, the love songs he wrote for Qualley have taken on a new meaning in his life, one that his fans are well aware of, given how public the split has been.

"Songs which I wrote recently, I obviously was really worried about this specific thing," he explained. "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 [expletive] ever,'" he continued. "Anyone could relate to the terrible sadness and pain, but there's a great power to it also."

Far from being a burden, the shows have become something meaningful for both the singer and his audience.

"It's actually been really beautiful," Antonoff shared. "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. I don't rewrite the past, I have no shame about the things I've said."

He added, "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, who began dating in 2021 and tied the knot in August 2023, parted ways earlier this year. The actress' rep confirmed the breakup in a statement shared with People on July 10.

"The narratives running in the press about Margaret and Jack are categorically untrue. There are no trust issues. There was no infidelity or anything outside of respect and partnership in this relationship," the statement read.

It continued, "They have deep love and care for one another. There are only two people in this marriage, and the sources who are talking to the press and commenting on their relationship are not people who know them. Please respect their privacy."