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Taylor Lautner says Twilight fans had an impact on his friendship with Robert Pattinson
Featured Image Credit: PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive / REUTERS / Alamy Stock Photo

Taylor Lautner says Twilight fans had an impact on his friendship with Robert Pattinson

The pair played love rivals in the popular movie franchise

Taylor Lautner has said Twilight’s Edward V Jacob rivalry had an ‘impact’ on his real-life friendship with co-star Robert Pattinson.

Lautner appeared as werewolf Jacob Black in the hugely successful Twilight movie franchise, while Pattinson played his vampiric love rival Edward Cullen. You can see the pair in action here:

In the trilogy, Bella Swan (played by Kirsten Stewart) is torn between both men/supernatural beings and it wasn’t long before fans of the franchise drew battlelines - declaring themselves either Team Jacob or Team Edward.

In a recent interview on The Toast podcast, Lautner admitted that the Twilight fandom pitting the pair against each other had real-life implications for the stars.

Asked if he felt that the rivalry of the characters affected him, Lautner said: “I feel like I’d be lying if I said no.

“I was so young. I was 16 when Twilight came out, 17 for New Moon and Eclipse. I finished the franchise by the time I was 19.

Taylor with Robert and Kirsten.
Everett Collection Inc / Alamy Stock Photo

“I was so young and yeah, I do feel like it was very strange travelling the world and being in different cities and having thousands of screaming fans either taking your side or the other guy’s side.

“Like, we’re a team. We’re both just trying to make the best movies…it was a little bizarre, the competitiveness. There wasn’t a competitiveness between me and Rob, but having that constant reminder, it definitely had an impact.”

Earlier this week, Lautner admitted that he regrets laughing when his then-girlfriend Taylor Swift had her VMA acceptance speech spoilt by an irate Kanye West in 2009.

Appearing on The Squeeze podcast, Lautner - who has since married Taylor Lautner née Dome - was asked which moment from his life he would go back and re-do if possible.

Lautner says the fandom rivalry impacted their off-screen relationship.
PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

"Probably the 2009 VMAs," he said.

"I presented the award to her so I gave her the award, I took five steps back and was standing five feet behind her. And in the middle of giving her thank-you speech, Kanye jumps up onto the stage.

"I can barely hear it. I can't see them. I'm just assuming this whole thing was a practised and rehearsed skit because why else would Kanye West be jumping on the stage interrupting Taylor Swift?

"It just didn't make sense."

Lautner went on to say that he had only been ‘laughing and giggling’ because he couldn’t fully hear what was being said and he didn’t realise that it wasn’t a pre-planned joke until he saw Swift’s face.

Topics: Film and TV, Robert Pattinson