When Savannah Guthrie mentioned his relationship with Swift on NBC's Today Tuesday, Hiddleston let out a heavy sigh before laughing at the question. After a thoughtful pause, the actor answered, "Well, um...Yeah. It's...You know, I make a clear distinction between my work, which I absolutely dedicate myself to, which is for the public. I really believe in that relationship between an actor and the audience, and...you can't call yourself an actor without the public."

The point, Hiddleston reiterated, is that his "private life is private."

(E! and NBC are both members of the NBCUniversal family.)

(Originally published on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, at 3:20 a.m. PDT.)