Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce's Relationship Started Earlier Than Anyone Knew
On July 8, 2023, Travis Kelce walked into Taylor Swift's Eras Tour show with a friendship bracelet featuring with his phone number on it. Later, Kelce took to his "New Heights" podcast to share that he wanted to meet Swift before her show to give her the bracelet, but she refused to see anyone that night. Everyone believed that Kelce tried his best and failed, so they moved on. But in September 2023, everything changed when Swift showed up to watch Kelce play.
Kelce seemed smitten as he looked up at Swift in joyous disbelief and mouthed, "She's right there." After he performed his signature archer move at Swift, she couldn't help but blush. Throughout the game, the "Lover" singer cheered the Kansas City Chief tight end and was overjoyed when he scored a touchdown. She also spent loads of time talking to Kelce's mother, Donna. After the game, sports anchor Jarret Payton captured a video of Kelce and Swift walking out of the stadium together, and it was obvious they were resisting the urge to hold hands.
Then, Swift and Kelce drove off in his convertible and attended an afterparty together, where the "Blank Space" singer was spotted having a conversation with her arm around Kelce. Given how giddy the two seemed, it was natural that many believed that was their first date. However, when Swift was awarded the prestigious Times Person Of The Year 2023, she explained they had been dating before she attended her first Kansas City Chiefs game, meaning they got to enjoy the initial stages of their relationship out of the public eye.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship started well before their first public appearance
In her Time interview for Person of The Year 2023, Taylor Swift recalled how Travis Kelce sweetly spoke about her on the "New Heights" podcast. The "Blank Space" singer thought the move was "metal as hell" and shared, "We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I'm grateful for because we got to get to know each other." Swift couldn't help but marvel at how people thought her appearance at Kelce's game was their first date.
She believed it stemmed from everyone's idea that the relationship wouldn't be private, so she clarified that having a more public romance didn't mean having their first date in a stadium full of people with cameras watching them. Instead, it meant doing whatever her heart desires despite having the added public attention.
For six years, Swift retreated from public life to protect her mental health and relationship with Joe Alwyn. Now, Swift realizes that she missed out on a lot of great things through those years and wants to make up for lost time. So, she's ready to venture into the world, live her best life, and be proud of the love she has. Whenever Swift attends one of Kelce's games, she receives some backlash given that she often gets more attention than the athletes playing. In the interview, she explained that she has no control over how frequently she's broadcasted and doesn't plan on letting other people's opinions stop her from supporting her partner.
There were several signs the pair was dating before their first public appearance
When Taylor Swift posted a TikTok of her dad riding a Segway on July 29, 2023, no one thought much of it. Now, fans can't help but notice Swift's sneaky smile as she pans to herself wearing what appears to be a Kansas City Chiefs tee under a simple black one. A few weeks before Swift attended her first Chiefs game, Travis and Jason Kelce had an equally chaotic "New Heights" podcast episode in which they were joined by Jason's wife, Kylie.
When a fan asked Kylie if she had tried to set Travis up with anyone, she couldn't help but laugh before answering that she hadn't and never would. The trio seemed to be sharing some sort of inside joke as Jason pressed on and asked her why she wouldn't. Kylie answered that she didn't know many single women before sneakily saying, "I think you're fine. I think you're doing great on your own, Travvy. You have no problem," which caused Jason to smirk and Travis to laugh.
Travis pushed back on the duo by saying that his niece, Wyatt, was calling him "naughty and sneaky" because of how Jason and Kylie talked about him. In November 2023, Travis revealed to the Wall Street Journal that he had laid the groundwork before attending the concert, "There were definitely people she knew that knew who I was, in her corner [who said]: 'Yo! Did you know he was coming?' I had somebody playing Cupid." Eventually, everything fell into place, and she reached out. The rest, as they say, is history.