Inside Taylor Swift's Relationship With Travis Kelce
For the 2023 football season, the NFL has entered its Swiftie era. When rumors first began swirling of a possible Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift romance in September 2023, fans were shocked and the NFL was immediately ecstatic. Kelce was just coming off of a Superbowl win and Swift was wrapping up her widely successful "The Eras" tour. When two stars at the top of their game collide, it's no surprise that it quickly becomes the talk of the town. When news first broke, Swifties everywhere scoured the internet for information about Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, and quickly joined the football fanbase. Sales of Kelce jerseys and viewership quickly skyrocketed, and this romance seems to be taking off too. Swift is now a regular at Chiefs games and is enjoying her spot in the VIP suite with the Kelce family and Brittany Mahomes.
The "Anti-Hero" singer hasn't released any songs about her new beau yet, but we're sure she'll find some inspiration as this NFL season continues to unfold. Here's everything we know about Hollywood's newest couple.
Travis tried to give Taylor his number
Like many Swifties, Travis Kelce couldn't wait to attend a concert during "The Eras" tour. When the tour stopped by Kansas City in July 2023, the tight end dropped by to see the show. Before the performance, Kelce had hoped to go backstage and exchange friendship bracelets with none other than Taylor Swift herself. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. "I was disappointed that she doesn't talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings," Kelce recounted on his "New Heights" podcast. "I was a little butthurt I didn't get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her."
The special bracelet that Kelce had hoped to give the singer included his digits on it. Swift missed out on the opportunity that night, but Kelce was still determined to get the bracelet to her. When "New Heights" posted the clip of Kelce telling the story, the caption read, "Anyone know how to get a bracelet to @taylorswift13? ... asking for a friend."
Kelce joked that he took the rejection personally, but big brother Jason offered up a simple explanation. "She probably just hasn't gotten over the Super Bowl. She's a big Eagles fan," he said referencing the Eagles' shocking loss to the Chiefs.
Jason Kelce responds to rumors about his brother's dating life
Two months after the failed bracelet exchange, rumors about Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift took over the NFL. The media were looking for answers, and who better to give up the deets than big brother Jason Kelce? After the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Minnesota Vikings, Jason was interviewed alongside Eagles Quarterback Jalen Hurts. It wasn't long in the interview before Prime's Thursday Night Football panel put Jason in the hot seat and asked about his little brother's rumored romance with the pop singer.
"I've seen these rumors. I cannot comment," Jason replied with a laugh. "Ever since "Catching Kelce" everybody's been infatuated with Travis' love life," the Eagles star continued, referring to his brother's 2016 reality dating show. "I don't really know what's going on there, but I know Travis is having fun and we'll see what happens with whoever he ends up with." Big brother may have not given up any deets about their romance, but a source told Entertainment Tonight that the two weren't dating. "Travis has been into Taylor for a while and definitely has a crush on her. He is a simple guy that is very funny, charismatic, chill, and loves playing football," the source explained. Things may not have been official just yet, but the two were getting to know each other.
Travis approved of all the NFL's Swiftie jokes
By mid-September 2023, fans everywhere were speculating on whether or not Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift were actually a thing. There wasn't a clear answer just yet, but the NFL media certainly enjoyed getting a few Swift-related jokes off when discussing the Kansas City star. When ESPN's Adam Schefter appeared on SportsCenter to report an update on Kelce's knee injury, he decided to have some fun with it by using plenty of Swift song titles. "Clearly, Travis Kelce, at this point in time, is trying to Shake It Off and get back out there. He knows how much he's needed and that he's The Man," Schefter said. "It was a little bit of a Cruel Summer for Travis Kelce with that knee injury but he can see the Daylight, Kevin. He looks like he's Ready For It."
The Swift references during the sports coverage were only getting started for Kelce. NFL commentator Rich Eisen got in on the action. His highlight reel included a total of seven Swift song titles dropped. Viewers found it hilarious and so did Kelce. The Kansas City Chiefs star commented on Eisen's Instagram Reel. "Well played Rich ... Well played," Kelce wrote with a laughing emoji.
Jason Kelce confirms Travis and Taylor are dating (and then backtracks)
While Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce remained mum on their rumored relationship, Jason Kelce had no choice but to answer the media's burning questions. The Philadelphia Eagles star was once again asked about the dating rumors during an appearance on DeCamara & Ritchie on Audacy's SportsRadio 94 WIP. While admitting that he knows the media frenzy that will come with his answer, Jason decided to have some more fun with the media. "It's hard to answer because I don't really know a lot about Travis' love life," he said. "I try to keep his business kind of his business, stay out of that world. But having said that, man, I think they're doing great and I think it's all 100% true, and I hope this thing goes a mile — no, I'm joking, I don't know what's happening."
Despite his lighthearted answer, the interview sent everyone a tailspin and considered Jason's response the official confirmation of the Swift and Kelce romance. It may have not truly been official, but it's all the confirmation we needed. Thanks, Jason.
Travis invites Taylor to a game
Sports media were finally over asking Jason Kelce about his younger brother's love life, and they decided to go straight to the main source. During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," Travis finally opened up about his rumored romance with Taylor Swift. The NFL star started off by joking about the kerfuffle his brother caused by his confusing answers. "Everyone please stop asking my brother about my love life," he said. [timestamp 1:54:15] Travis decided to give a little insight into his possible connection with the pop star. "I threw the ball in her court," he explained. "I told her, 'I've seen you rock the stage at Arrowhead [Stadium]. You might have to come see me rock the stage at Arrowhead and see which one's a little more lit.'"
Swift took him up on that offer. Just days later, she made a surprise appearance at a Kansas City home game. As People reported, the singer sat in Kelce's suite alongside his parents. Swift was seen cheering his rumored beau on while enjoying some drinks. Following the game, the two were spotted by TMZ leaving in Kelce's convertible. The outlet reported that the two went out for dinner. Kelce opened up about that night on his "New Heights" podcast. "I just thought it was awesome how everybody in the suite had nothing but great things to say about her — the friends and family," Travis revealed. "She looked amazing and everybody was talking about her in great light."
A source reveals that Travis and Taylor are only hanging out
Despite driving off after a game in a convertible and hitting it off with Donna Kelce, things between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were still not official, at least to the public. A source close to the two told People that they haven't defined their new relationship just yet. "It's nothing too serious," the source said, noting that the two are still getting to know each other. The source went on to explain that Swift and Kelce were just "hanging out" and that the "Love Story" singer already found him to be quite charming.
One person who seemed to approve of the romance was Kelce's mother. "Donna likes Taylor and thinks she's very sweet and down to earth," another source revealed. The two enjoyed cheering on the Kansas City tight end during games with one another. Despite the high-profile romance, the source shared that Kelce's main priority was his team and he was focused on winning. However, we're sure he enjoyed having a special someone sitting in the suite cheering him on as he scored touchdowns.
Travis responds to the excessive NFL coverage of Taylor at his games
By October 2023, there was only one thing dominating the sports news cycle — Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. Cameras couldn't get enough of Swift at Kansas City games and reporters couldn't stop talking about it. The official NFL accounts got in on the action and were dropping Swiftie-related content to appease their new fanbase. Although it was in good fun, many found it excessive. On "New Heights," the Kelce brothers revealed that they were also getting tired of the spectacle. "Is the NFL overdoing it?" Jason asked his younger brother. "I think it's fun when they show who all is at the game," Travis answered. "I think it brings a little bit more to the atmosphere, brings a little bit more to what you're watching. But at the same time, they're overdoing it a little bit for sure ... especially my situation. I think they're trying to have fun with it."
Jason advised the NFL to tone down the celebrity coverage at the games. "Dude, show them once and get a little clip, but you can't be overboard with it," he suggested. The NFL responded to the feedback with a statement to People. "The Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce news has been a pop cultural moment we've leaned into in real time, as it's an intersection of sport and entertainment, and we've seen an incredible amount of positivity around the sport," it read. The league also explained that their coverage still heavily focuses on the actual football.
Travis explains how he's adjusting to the new attention
Since being linked to Taylor Swift, the media attention around Travis Kelce has increased beyond the usual sports coverage. He gained over 1.3 million Instagram followers, his jersey sales went up by 400%, and paparazzi have been keeping a close eye on him. In the past, many of Swift's exes have folded under the media attention, but Kelce has taken it in good stride. While speaking to the media, Kelce revealed that he's adjusting to the new level of attention but is focused on his job. "It comes with it," he said about the paparazzi. "You've got a lot of people that care about Taylor, and for good reason. Just got to keep living and learning and enjoying the moments. At the end of the day, I've always been pretty good about compartmentalizing and being able to stay focused in this building, so I'll just keep rolling with that."
Despite the recent lack of privacy, Kelce is still in good spirits. "As all the attention comes ... it feels like I was on top of the world after the Super Bowl and right now I'm even more on top of the world," he said with a smile. If that wasn't sweet enough, it was reported that the NFL star had wooed Swift with a massive bouquet of flowers. "Travis is different from anybody Taylor has dated before and she is falling for him more and more as the days go by," a source told Us Weekly.
Taylor and Travis stepped out for a date night after SNL appearance
The love story between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift has continued. Per Page Six, the two were spotted holding hands for the first time while grabbing dinner in New York City. Later that night, the two made surprise cameos on "Saturday Night Live." The outing came just as Kelce had a break in his busy NFL schedule. After their "SNL" appearances, they arrived together at an afterparty and onlookers observed them getting cozy. "They were always connected throughout the night," a source notes told People. "They were super comfortable with each other. They were very cuddly; they weren't awkward. She was really comfortable with him, and he was a total gentleman."
As the two mingled separately, Kelce reportedly kept checking in on his rumored lady. "He was going over and touching her, putting his hand on her lower back or putting his hands on her waist and then they would do a little kiss and then they would go back to talking to whoever they were talking to." As their romance heats up, fans can expect more Swift appearances at Chiefs games. "He jokes she is his good luck charm," a source told Page Six.
A week after their "SNL" date, Swift was back cheering on Kelce alongside Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Per People, the two left the game holding hands. The Lover era lives on.