Is Elly Conway actually Taylor Swift? The ‘Argylle’ conspiracy theory, explained

Taylor Swift — is there anything she can’t do? Not according to a legion of online Swiftie conspiracists who think she’s involved with the movie Argylle.

To understand what all those Swifties are on about, one must first understand Argylle‘s origin. Purportedly, the Matthew Vaughn film is based on a spy novel by an unknown author named Elly Conway, which hadn’t even been released when the story was optioned. After several delays, Conway’s supposed debut novel is set to come out Jan. 9, 2024. The movie version, meanwhile, is scheduled to be released on February 2, starring Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, and other A-listers.

For a debut novel to be picked up right away is suspicious enough. Furthermore, there’s very little evidence Conway exists besides a lonely Instagram page with no posts showing Conway’s face. Conway’s Penguin bio is also sparse, stating, “Elly Conway was born and raised in upstate New York. She wrote her first novel about Agent Argylle while working as a waitress in a late-night diner,” — is it just us, or do those sound like Taylor’s lyrics?

The Swift-Conway evidence

Even casual Swifties — if there is such a thing — are well aware the pop star loves a good puzzle and a big batch of Easter Eggs to keep fans interested. So, according to some, Elly Conway doesn’t exist, and Argylle is Taylor Swift’s fiction debut written under a pen name — after all, only someone as powerful as Taylor could drop a book debut and a movie based on her book simultaneously. It’s well-publicized that Jason Fuchs (Wonder Woman) adapted the screenplay.

Besides the fact that the suspected Conway subterfuge is in character, Taylor has dabbled in acting, and many think she’ll eventually transition to Hollywood and speculate she’ll one day write a book. Taylor’s also used pseudonyms in the past. But that’s not all: she’s been photographed in argyle-print sweaters — exhibit A: the argyle RED (Taylor’s version) sweater she sells on her site.

Meanwhile, the cat on the movie poster is a Scottish Fold, just like Taylor’s cat, Meredith, and she used a carry backpack like the one in the poster in the Miss Americana documentary. The movie’s tagline sounds like Taylor, too: “Once you know the secret, the cat’s out of the bag.” And perhaps the biggest clincher of all, Elly Conway’s first Instagram post was December 13, 2022, Taylor’s birthday — the plot thickens.

Is the book based on the movie or the movie based on the book?

Despite all that, it’s possible Arygylle producers are telling the truth: that Elly Conway is a unicorn young novelist who wrote a book so good it got picked up by Hollywood before it was even released for a movie starring Bryce Dallas Howard — who, wait a minute, looks a little like a grown-up Sadie Sink from the All Too Well (10 Minute Version) short film — as unconfirmed as this is, the evidence keeps mounting!

It’s also plausible that there’s some other kind of meta-publicity going on: The script — which, in a further twist, apparently features a Conway-based character played by Howard, who wrote a spy novel — may have come first, and the Conway novel came second, as a movie tie-in.

Reportedly, Arygylle is Conway’s fourth book, so if the movie does well, there are plans for other film adaptations. In Sept. 2022, The Hollywood Reporter said the publication tried to contact the writer to find out more: They couldn’t get in touch with her — because, of course, they couldn’t.

Argylle Swiftie fan reaction

Maybe when Argylle comes out, the truth will be revealed, and Taylor will have conquered Hollywood and publishing in one fell swoop, as she has every other industry upon which she’s cast her gaze, or maybe it is all idle fan speculation, instead. It’s impossible to know for sure. Still, many Swifties are convinced. In a supposed Conway Instagram post seen above, with Bryce Dallas Howard pictured, one Swiftie noticed:

“The blue butterfly for Debut, and THE SIX HEARTS in the diamonds representing the six stolen albums?! TAYLOR 😭 you are THE mastermind!!!”

Meanwhile, another added, ” … [T]he bottom books argyle patterns reminds me of her blue dress Grammy’s earrings for some reason 🤔.”

And finally, “It’s been a long time coming! just pre-ordered, and so excited to read. Congrats on your new venture!❤️👩🏻‍🦰🐱🔎,” one comment said.