WHEN IT COMES to hard-launching a relationship, it surely doesn’t get much more solid than cheering on your beau at their big game alongside their mum and then leaving your SNL cameos hand-in-hand. Just ask Taylor Swift, who did exactly that while debuting her new boyfriend, NFL player Travis Kelce in September 2023.
But suggestions of a romance between the singer and the NFL star have been swirling since July 2023, when Kelce allegedly tried to give Swift his number while attending her Eras tour. Since then, the couple have mutually supported each other at games and concerts —including a lyrical shout-out during Swift’s Argentina tour — been spotted on dates in New York City, celebrated New Year’s together and even affectionately kissed after Kelce’s team, the Kansas City Chiefs, made the Super Bowl. Latest rumours also suggest the pair could be heading down the aisle following America’s biggest sporting event.
Below, we unpack those engagement rumours —and look into Kelce’s career, how the pair met and the warning his ex has shared.
Are Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce getting engaged?
While praising Taylor Swift’s upcoming album during a Super Bowl press conference in Las Vegas, Travis Kelce addressed engagement speculation following the Super Bowl.
“I have heard some of it, yes, and it’s unbelievable,” the Chiefs star said said of Swift’s recently announced album, The Tortured Poets Department.
“I can’t wait for her to shake up the world when it finally drops.”
Later on, a reporter directly asked Kelce if there will be “another ring besides the Super Bowl ring, if you win this thing on Sunday.”
“I’m focused on getting this ring, and that’s all my mind’s focused on right now,” Kelce responded.
Will Travis Kelce go on Swift’s Australian leg of her Eras World Tour?
It’s quite possible. Having supported Taylor Swift during her performances in Buenos Aires, Argentina; US Weekly reports that Travis Kelce will fly to Australia for the pop star’s Down Under tour.
“After the Super Bowl, Travis will be joining Taylor on her tour and travelling with her,” a source told the publication.
“They are happy and looking forward to spending more time together.”
Swift’s appearance at the 2024 Super Bowl on February 11 will be the final time she publicly supports her boyfriend before touching down in Australia. She’s set to perform seven shows in two cities, Melbourne and Sydney — before hitting Singapore in early March. While it’s unclear whether Kelce will join her there, the football star shared during a pre-Super Bowl press conference he intends to be there for Swift as much as she has supported him during his many NFL games.
“You can’t put any more pressure than I put on myself,” he began. “That’s just the heart of a competitor. She’s definitely brought a lot of new faces to the game and it’s been fun to experience that.”
“She seems to be enjoying the games. She’s a part of Chiefs Kingdom right now,” he continued. “It’s fun seeing her enjoy the game of football, knowing that it’s kind of new to her life.”
Were Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce on SNL?
On October 14, both Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce made surprise cameos on Saturday Night Live, the long-running sketch comedy show.
Kelce appeared in the first sketch of the night — one that sent up the sudden Swift-ification of the NFL in the weeks since Swift first appeared at one of Kelce’s games. Kenan Thompson played a Fox NFL anchor growing increasingly annoyed with his co-anchors as they spend more time discussing Swift’s love life than football itself, even breaking into a rendition of “Bad Blood”.
“You know what?” Thompson finally says. “I’m done. When we get back, we’re going to speak to someone who actually wants to talk football.” The camera then surprisingly cuts to Kelce, whose line is short but sweet: “Yes, please.”
Later in the evening, Swift appeared briefly to introduce the second song from the episode’s guest performer, Ice Spice, with whom she collaborated on a remix of her song “Karma”.
Kelce and Swift may not have appeared on screen together, but they left hand-in-hand — seeming to finally confirm those dating rumours, and looking quite smitten together.
The next day, the pair were spotted out on another date night — this time at Waverly Inn in New York City. Swift wore a sheer mesh top with a black mini-skirt and black ankle boots, while Kelce opted for a matching ecru jacket-and-trousers set.
How many Kansas City Chiefs games has Taylor Swift gone to?
At the time of writing, Swift has now attended three of Kelce’s games with the Kansas City Chiefs. She first attended a game on September 24, appearing in the VIP box with Kelce’s mother Donna.
On October 1, she brought a few of her closest — and most famous — friends along for another game. Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Sophie Turner and even Hugh Jackman came along to the game with Swift, who wore a red lip with high waisted denim shorts, a black leather jacket and knee-high black leather boots.
On October 12, Swift came along to another of Kelce’s home games, wearing a red Chiefs jersey over a black top and grey skirt. She was spotted again in the VIP box spending time with Brittany Mahomes, whose husband is Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, as well as Kelce’s mum and dad. Kelce’s mum Donna seemed to be wearing an Eras tour inspired beaded friendship bracelet.
Who is Travis Kelce?
Travis Kelce is an American football player who currently plays tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted to the team in 2013, and went on to help the teams to win Super Bowls LIV in 2020, and LVII in 2023 — scoring a touchdown in both wins.
Born in Ohio, Kelce attended high school in Cleveland Heights, where he played not only football, but also basketball and baseball — before honing in on the former as his specialty.
Is Travis Kelce dating Taylor Swift?
While neither Kelce nor Swift have officially confirmed the dating rumours, it appears as though the pair might be official after Swift was spotted in a VIP box watching Kelce play with the Kansas City Chiefs in their hometown Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, September 24, 2023. Swift sat beside Kelce’s mother, and wore the team colours of red and white — and was spotted cheering on the player when he scored a touchdown during the game.
Previously, Swift dated The 1975 frontman Matty Healy for a brief but internet-blazing few months at the start of 2023, following her breakup with actor Joe Alwyn after six years together.
In her RED era@taylorswift13 @chiefs pic.twitter.com/WBC1ojI2oD
— NFL (@NFL) September 24, 2023
Related: Taylor Swift and Matty Healy’s full relationship timeline
How did Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift meet?
It’s rumoured that Kelce and Swift met simply through the NFL player shooting his shot while attending Swift’s Eras tour back in July 2023. Kelce spoke about his attempt on the New Heights podcast he hosts with his brother, Jason Kelce, who also plays in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles.
“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,” he explained on the podcast.
“So, I was a little butthurt that I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her. If you’re up on Taylor Swift concerts there are friendship bracelets. I received a bunch of there being there but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it. She doesn’t meet anybody — or at least she didn’t want to meet me. So, I took it personal,” he joked.
It appears that Kelce managed to get in contact with Swift nonetheless. Ahead of the game that Swift attended, Kelce told ESPN that he had invited Swift to attend one of his games.
“I threw it out there. I threw the ball in her court. You know, I told her, ‘I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead and see which one’s a little more lit,’” he said. “We’ll see what happens in the near future.”
The result was Swift turning up to the suite in Kelce’s colours — so it certainly appears she took him up on the offer. Was it the friendship bracelet that sealed the deal? We don’t know for sure, but it certainly makes for a sweet story.
What Taylor Swift show did Travis Kelce go to?
Travis Kelce went along to Swift’s Eras tour on July 8, when she performed at Arrowhead Stadium — which happens to be the home of the Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL team Kelce plays tight end for. He was spotted trading friendship bracelets with other Swift fans inside the stadium, and watched the show from the suites alongside Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
What has Travis Kelce said about Taylor Swift?
Kelce has taken to his New Heights podcast with his brother once again to speak about Swift, and while he did note that it would be the last time he raised the topic, he certainly had some sweet words to offer.
“Shout-out to Taylor for pulling up … That was pretty ballsy,” he said, adding that the friends and family watching the game alongside Swift in his suite “had nothing but great things to say about her” and that he “sure as hell enjoyed this weekend.”
“She looked amazing and everybody was talking about her in great light.”
In what’s probably a smart move, he then noted that while he’s aware he brought the attention to himself, he won’t indulge in it in future.
“I know I brought all this attention to me, right?” he said. “I did the whole friendship bracelet thing and told everyone how butt-hurt I was that I didn’t get to meet Taylor.”
“What’s real is it is my personal life, and I want to respect both of our lives. She’s not in the media as much as I am doing this show every single week and you know, having fun during the NFL season and on other guys’ shows like the McAfee Show, and any other show that I go on from here on out.”
Who is Travis Kelce’s ex, and what has she said?
While Kelce has clarified that he won’t be speaking further on his romance, his ex Maya Benberry has entered the conversation — bearing a warning for Swift.
In 2016, Kelce was the subject of a reality dating series on E! called Catching Kelce. The premise? “In search of his soulmate, NFL playerTravis Kelcedates one woman from each state.”
Maya Benberry, a 31-year-old influencer and model, was the winner of the series, and dated Kelce for several months after the series ended. Their relationship was short-lived, and Kelce moved on afterwards with sports broadcaster Kaya Nicole — but Benberry went on to accuse Kelce of cheating on her with Nicole in a series of since-deleted Tweets.
Hate all you want, we are happy!! Allllllll mine ❤️ #CatchingKelce pic.twitter.com/eC1WpLLeQz
— MU$E (@MayaBenberry) November 17, 2016
Now, Benberry has spoken to the Daily Mail with a sobering warning for Swift.
“Taylor seems like such a fun girl with a beautiful spirit so I wish her the best of luck but I wouldn’t be a girls’ girl if I didn’t advise her to be smart,” she said. “I’m sure by now she has mastered the ability to see who is really there for her — and who is just using her.”
She added that she can only speak to “the man that I knew him to be when we dated,” but added that “only time will tell, but like the saying always goes, once a cheater, always a cheater.”
Watch here for updates.
Related: Here’s what we know about Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn’s break-up
