Did … did Taylor Swift secretly write Argylle under a pseudonym? That’s the oddly compelling fan theory.

Obviously, fans know that Taylor Swift will whisper secrets with famous friends and plan huge surprises for fans.

But did she actually find time to write a murder mystery novel … one that has a film adaptation coming out in a few weeks? And did she avoid the phenomenal PR that such a project could bring?

One person — aside from Taylor — knows the answer with certainty.

What is ‘Argylle’ anyway?

Argylle is an upcoming star-studded murder mystery film. It hits theaters on February 2.

No, Taylor Swift does not — to anyone’s knowledge — appear in the film alongside Bryce Dallas Howard, Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, and more.

But that hasn’t stopped fans for believing that she made it all happen. Compared to some fan theories about Taylor Swift, this one seems pretty innocuous.

Argylle, the novel, came out on January 9. Elly Conway is the author’s pseudonym — and given that the film is already about to come out, many wonder if the author is well-known under their actual name.

The story follows a spy novelist and her pet cat, a Scottish Fold, in the midst of a lethal mystery.

The protagonist carries her cat in an argyle print cat backpack. Notably, Taylor has worn a similar cat backpack and very famously has two Scottish Folds: Meredith Grey and Olivia Benson.

Bryce Dallas Howard plays the protagonist. She’s not dating a Travis Kelce look-alike or anything, but she’s a ginger.

Follow the logic, because it’s a stretch. BUT – Swift’s All Too Well short film features a redheaded writer. So there are some visual similarities in play.

Elly Conway seems to have emerged ex nihilo, and could be anyone — including a celebrity who, for whatever reason, wished to pen a mystery novel anonymously.

Is the mysterious mystery writer behind ‘Argylle’ really Taylor Swift?

Rolling Stone did the actual due diligence of speaking to Argylle‘s director, Matthew Vaughn and asking if Taylor wrote the Argylle novel.

“I’m not a big internet guy,” Vaughn began unrelatably, “and it was actually my daughter who came up to me — this is the power of celebrity and the internet — and said, ‘You never told me Taylor wrote the book!’”

This was the first that he had heard of the fan theory.

“And I’m looking at her going, ‘What are you talking about Taylor Swift wrote the book? She didn’t write the book!’” Vaughn continued.

“And I was laughing,” he admitted, “because I was like, ‘It’s not true! She didn’t write the book!’ But my daughter was convinced of it.”

Vaughn also insisted that there is a real Elly Conway out there. Sort of.

“There is a real book … and it’s a really good book,” Vaughn described. “And there is an Elly Conway who wrote the book, but it’s not Taylor Swift.”

He continued: “And I say that because I imagine Taylor Swift has a load of people trying to jump on her bandwagon left, right, and center, and I don’t want to be a part of that club.” Fair!

“I did read the conspiracies and I was like, wow, they don’t leave a stone unturned!” Vaughn characterized. “But it’s not Taylor Swift. She definitely didn’t write the book.”

But Taylor Swift IS responsible for one aspect of ‘Argylle’

As it turns out, Taylor’s all-powerful influence did prompt the film to feature a Scottish Fold as Alfie, the protagonist’s cat.

As it turns out, Vaughn’s daughters persuaded his wife, Claudia Schiffer (yes, the supermodel), to bring home a Scottish Fold.

Taylor inspired them to want the cat. And that same cat, Chip, appears in the film.

“Ironically, what she is responsible for is the Scottish Fold,” Vaughn admitted. “I got home one day, it was Christmas, and I was like, ‘What the f–k is that noise?’”

He continued: “And I’m running around the house and I hear a noise, and the kids had seen a Taylor Swift documentary [Miss Americana] and there was a Scottish Fold in that.” There sure is!

“And they’d persuaded my wife, Claudia, to get them the kitten for Christmas,” Vaughn revealed. “It was bought without my permission and hidden from me.” And now, Chip is a movie star.