Ok, I know this is not your typical sports article, but it needed to be addressed. Like her switch from country music to pop, Taylor Swift is a genre-bending, category-defying star. She has managed to make even the NFL, the most popular and lucrative sports league in America, take a backseat. So here is the two-minute drill version of their “Love Story.”
“So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and chase it” is Taylor Swift’s advice to fans in her song “You’re on Your Own Kid.” Little did she know that it would lead to the love of her life. The Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce romance has taken the internet by storm for Swifties and die-hard NFL fans alike. But not many people know the full story.
It all started during the summer of 2023 at Swift’s Eras Tour stop in Kansas City. NFL tight-end for the Kansas City Chiefs, Travis Kelce, attended the concert on July 8. During the tour, many fans would make friendship bracelets with slogans or phrases related to Taylor Swift to trade with other concert-goers. Kelce made a friendship bracelet that had his phone number on it, in hopes that it would reach Taylor Swift. Sadly, Swift was not able to meet or receive Kelce and his friendship bracelet after the show. Kelce admits he “was a little butt-hurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her.”
After Kelce made his comment on the podcast “New Heights” that he hosts with his brother, he noted that members of Swift’s team reached out and that friends of hers were “playing Cupid.” The new couple went on their first date in August in New York. They had already been talking and were excited to have a nice dinner and let the relationship go from there. In early September, the couple were said to be quietly hanging out but not official.
September 24 was the day that for better or for worse marked the official public start of the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce romance. Swift was seen cheering on Kelce and the Chiefs alongside Kelce’s mother, Donna, in a suite at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The couple were then seen leaving the game together and had dinner at a local restaurant that evening.
On September 27, Kelce gave Swift a shoutout on his podcast. He “thought it was awesome how everybody in the suite had nothing but great things to say about her. You know, the friends and family. She looked amazing. Everybody was talking about her in a great light, and on top of that, the day went perfect for Chiefs fans, of course.”
On October 1, Swift attended the Cheifs game against the Jets in New York City. Kelce was also seen leaving Swift’s apartment in New York that morning.
October 15 was another day that created some iconic buzz around and Swift and Kelce. That evening, an incredibly chic and dapper Swift and Kelce went out on the town in New York City. Kelce affectionately held Swift’s hand, and the two exchanged loving glances and smiles as they entered and exited the Waverly Inn for dinner.
Amid their busy schedules, many fans remarked how impressive it is that the couple makes time to spend with each other. Swift is constantly traveling and working hard on her Eras tour around the US and now South America. Kelce is now in the playoffs working towards another NFL Super Bowl Title with his team. By now, Swift has now attended eleven of Kelce’s football games which has made fans begin to wonder when Travis would make a stop to watch another leg of the Eras Tour. Well, on November 11 these fans’ prayers were answered. On the second night of Swift’s stop in Buenos Aires, Kelce was seen at the concert jamming out to “Blank Space” and “End Game.” TikTok and fans of the power couple had a field day with the fact that Kelce made an appearance, but little did they know what Swift had in store for that night.
In a viral clip, Swift performed “Karma” from her “Midnights” album. One of the lyrics is “Karma is a guy on the screen, coming straight home to me” but in honor of her special guest that night, Swift shocked fans and Kelce alike by changing the lyrics to “Karma is a guy on the Chiefs, coming straight home to me.” Some excited Swifites caught Kelce’s reaction on video and his face said it all. He had a smile from ear to ear and cheered Swift on in response. Maybe love is real after all?
After the show, the couple shared another viral moment when Swift ran to Kelce and the pair exchanged kisses and a hug. The sweet moment was shared to X (formerly Twitter) and was used as a sign to Taylor-Travis supporters that the two were truly in love.
Heading into December, one half of the power couple, won the prestigious honor of Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. In her interview, Swift mentioned her relationship with Kelce and how they are “just proud of each other” and enjoy “showing up for each other.”
But the relationship began to receive backlash when Swift began attending Kelce’s NFL games. Some football fans thought that Swift was being shown too much on TV and wanted the focus to be on the football game and not a tabloid pop star and her relationship. Well, Swift addressed those concerns in her “Time” interview by recognizing that she has no control or awareness when she is shown on screen and is “just there to support Travis. I have no awareness of if I am being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads.”
In December Swift attended a few more Chiefs games, even on Christmas Day. The pair held hands leaving the stadium and were later seen at a local bar celebrating the holidays. To round out the New Year, the lovers exchanged a kiss and celebrated together with friends and family. The couple are still going strong and enjoying each other’s company. Rumors of engagements and breakups have come into the spotlight recently, but the Hollywood gossip doesn’t seem to phase the two.
So no matter what the dads, Chads, and Brads say, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are here to stay.
