Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s love story just keeps picking up steam! After months of public outings, cross-country travel and even some PDA in Argentina – Taylor and Travis are still going strong for the holidays!
The high-profile relationship got started after the Kansas City Chiefs player attended Taylor’s Eras Tour concert at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, earlier this year and fumbled when he tried to give the 33-year-old “Blank Space” singer a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it.
Leaving the situation “butthurt,” the Super Bowl-winning tight end would only have to wait a couple months before catching Taylor’s eye.
“Travis has been into Taylor for a while and definitely has a crush on her,” a source told ET earlier this month, before the musician started showing up at Travis’ games. “He is a simple guy that is very funny, charismatic, chill, and loves playing football.”
And 33-year-old Travis has been bold when trying to connect with Taylor.
“Travis has never shied away from his desire to give dating with Taylor a try, which he even said during a press conference a few months ago after seeing Swift in concert,” another source told ET. “Travis and Taylor are taking things slowly, and not rushing into anything serious. Both are very career-focused, so the focus is on that for now, but that’s not going to stop them from enjoying life when it’s the right moment.”
Soon, however, their paths crossed in a big way, and their romance has captured the imaginations of Swifties across the globe. Here’s everything we know about the singer and sports star’s relationship so far.
It Started With a Friendship Bracelet
In July 2023, Travis revealed on his and his brother Jason Kelce’s podcast, New Heights, that he was unsuccessful when he attempted to give Taylor a friendship bracelet after the Eras Tour concert at Arrowhead Stadium.
“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,” Travis said. “So I was a little butthurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her.”
Revealing his plan at the time, Travis admitted that his bracelet had his phone number on it.
“If you’re up on Taylor Swift concerts, there are friendship bracelets,” Travis said. “I received a bunch of them being there, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it.”
That didn’t exactly work out, as Travis noted, “She doesn’t meet anybody, or at least she didn’t want to meet me, so I took it personal.”
Jason, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, told his brother not to take it personally, as she was probably still upset about the Chiefs beating the Eagles at this year’s Super Bowl.
“She probably just hasn’t gotten over the Super Bowl yet,” Jason quipped. “She’s a big Eagles fan, so maybe she just made something up and didn’t want to talk to you.”
Shaking Off the Rumors
Two months passed without an update about Travis’ attempt to reach out to Taylor, though fans began to speculate if there was a connection. At the beginning of September, a source confirmed to ET that although he has a crush on Taylor, there was no romance …yet.
“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 said at the time.
In a post-game interview that same week, Travis playfully brushed off an interviewer’s question when pressed about the validity of his attempt to get Taylor’s number.
“I said what I said. And I meant what I said when I said it. And you know what, it is what it is. I’m not gonna talk about my personal life,” he said.
She’s In the Bleachers… Well, the Suites
On Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, fans were shocked to see Taylor inside Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City as the Chiefs took on the Chicago Bears. During the game, Taylor made it clear that she was rooting for the home team – and their tight end – as she rocked a Chiefs jacket and KSUBI denim shorts while she sat next to Travis’ mom, Donna Kelce, in the NFL player’s suite.
Taylor brought a lot of energy to the stadium and was seen giving chest bumps, high fives, and doing plenty of shouting, especially when Travis scored a touchdown.
An eyewitness at the game told ET that Taylor was “just so very normal, just watching the game casually with Mama Kelce.”
Post-Game Party and PDA
Following the 41-10 victory that Travis and his team claimed, there was much to celebrate – and Taylor got in on the action. In a video that circulated on social media, Travis and Taylor walked side-by-side as they exited the stadium and hopped in his getaway car.
Taylor was on hand with Travis as their night continued at the popular family eatery Prime Social Rooftop, a trendy restaurant in Kansas City. She was even spotted packing on a little PDA with the tight end.
“Travis bought out the restaurant for his family and team. Taylor arrived, wearing a denim dress, and was seen snacking, having some cocktails and dancing alongside Travis,” an eyewitness told ET. “The two were very affectionate with one another but kept things fun and lighthearted. Travis’ teammates also showed up to the after-party, as well as his mom and dad, Donna and Ed. The party lasted until 2 a.m.”
Taylor even got the seal of approval from Travis’ teammate, Patrick Mahomes, after meeting her at the party.
“Yeah, I met her. She’s really cool, good people,” the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback said in a press conference on Sept. 27, 2023. “But like Trav said, man, I’m going to let them have their privacy and just keep it moving.”
In the afterglow of the game, sales of Travis’ jersey have reportedly shot through the roof, even more than Mahomes.
A Night to Remember
Travis wasn’t able to get away from the chatter as he and Jason filmed their first New Heights episode since Taylor’s cameo at the big game.
“Shout-out to Taylor for pulling up, that was pretty ballsy,” he said. “I just thought it was awesome how everyone 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.”
He added, “To see the slow-motion chest bumps, to see the high fives with Mom, to see how, you know, Chiefs Kingdom was all excited she was there – that s**t was absolutely hysterical and it was definitely a game I’ll remember, that’s for damn sure. And then we just slid off in the getaway car at the end. Took my Chevelle to the game.”
“Shout-out to Taylor for coming through and seeing me rock the stage,” Travis concluded.
Welcome to Kansas City
In the hours following their public debut, a source revealed to ET that Travis and Taylor had privately spent time together. She was also seen at Travis’ house with his family ahead of the game in Kansas City.
“Travis and Taylor have a lot in common and they are having a great time getting to know each other. They have similar values. She likes that he pursued her and it has been easy and exciting for both of them,” the source said.
Having just wrapped the first leg of her Eras World Tour, the source added, “Taylor is enjoying some time off from touring and it’s been fun hanging out with Travis during this break. Taylor wants a guy that’s into his career, does his own thing, but is also supportive and understands her, and Travis fits those qualities.”
Keeping Them Guessing
Despite all of the chatter, Travis refused to confirm or deny if he and Taylor are new romantics.
On the New Heights podcast, Jason celebrated Travis for the results that followed him “shooting his shot,” and gave him the floor to speak on his and Taylor’s status.
“You gotta shoot your shot,” Jason quipped.
“You miss 100 percent you don’t take, baby,” the Catching Kelce star cracked, before getting serious.
“So yeah. I think what’s real is that, you know, it is my personal life and I want to respect both of our lives,” he shared. “She’s not in the media as much as I am doing this show every single week and having fun during the NFL season on other guys’ shows, like [The Pat McAfee Show] and any other show that I go on from here on out, you know … I’m enjoying life. And I sure as hell enjoyed this weekend, so everything moving forward, I think me talking about sports and saying ‘all right now’ will have to be kinda where I keep it.”
Welcome to New York
On Oct. 1, 2023, Taylor brought loads of star power to the NFL when she and her famous friends attended the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The “Welcome to New York” singer brought along to the game Sophie Turner, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Sabrina Carpenter, Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski, and her backup singer and friend, Melanie Nyema. Patrick’s wife, Brittany Mahomes, was also seated in the same section.
At one point, Taylor was spotted sharing a sweet embrace with Mama Kelce.
It was another exciting game for the Chiefs, who beat the Jets 23-20. But after this game, Travis and Taylor went their separate ways, with the singer leaving with Sophie and the NFL star presumably jetting back to Kansas City.
He was, however, spotted leaving Taylor’s apartment in New York City just hours before the game, and later liked an article on social media about the singer’s presence at the sporting event.
Back In Kansas City
After skipping Travis’ game against the Minnesota Vikings, the singer was back in the stands at Arrowhead Stadium on Oct. 12 to root the Chiefs in their game against the Denver Broncos.
Swift was spotted getting on a golf cart at Arrowhead Stadium before kickoff, sporting a black dress and a Chiefs-themed jacket, which she wore hanging off one shoulder.
She was later seen enjoying a drink while sitting in a box seat. Then, during the game, after Kelce made an impressive catch and picked up 40 yards, Swift gasped, jumped out of her seat, and loudly cheered for her beau.
She once again spent the game hanging out with Donna in a private box suite. The women smiled as they watched the pregame festivities on the field and waited for kickoff.
In the heat of the Chiefs’ 19-8 victory over the Broncos, Taylor gleefully embraced her new friend, Brittany Mahomes, wife of Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The pair – who have hung out a few times in the past few weeks amid Taylor’s rumored romance with Travis – watched much of the game at Arrowhead Stadium side-by-side, cheering and rooting on their team.
Date Night Debut After Their SNL Cameos!
On Saturday, Oct. 14, the cute couple made their date night debut – their first official public outing since sparking romance rumors – and even showed a little PDA.
were spotted holding hands as they arrived at the Saturday Night Live after-party. Travis was the perfect gentleman as he held Taylor’s hand while she exited the truck.
Showing off their style in the rainy weather, the “Look What You Made Me Do” singer wore a long trench coat over black pants and a cropped shirt ensemble. Swift also held a black purse. Kelce wore brown pants and an embroidered jacket with a white T-shirt and white sneakers.
Their appearance at the party came after both made separate cameos on SNL during the show’s season 49 premiere, hosted by Pete Davidson.
Travis appeared at the end of the first sketch of the night, which poked fun at the NFL’s constant coverage of him and Taylor’s romance.
For her part, Taylor introduced musical guest Ice Spice, ahead of her second performance.
An eyewitness told ET that the SNL cast celebrated the season premiere’s after party at Catch Steakhouse in the Meatpacking District in NYC, and Taylor and Travis were on hand for the festivities. According to the eyewitness, the pair arrived at the celebration around 2:20 am holding hands.
“Taylor and Travis seemed to really be having a great night and looked happy to be with each other,” the eyewitness says. “They kissed throughout the evening.”
Inside the party, another source told ET, “Taylor and Travis looked very comfortable and happy together. They were kissing openly and weren’t shy with their PDA. When Taylor first arrived, she spent time with Ice Spice and Ice Spice’s friends.”
Date Night Part Deux
On Sunday, the “Blank Space” singer and the NFL pro hit the streets of New York City for another evening out. The couple were all smiles as they left the Waverly Inn restaurant hand-in-hand.
Taylor didn’t let the autumn breeze keep her from showing off her long legs in a black leather mini skirt, which she paired with a sheer long-sleeved top, and black boots. The singer kept her hair pinned back and had her signature red lipstick on display.
For his part, Travis showed off his usual swag in a matching light denim set, which he layered over a black T-shirt.
As they left the restaurant – to the surprise of some fans – the pair were all smiles and holding hands. Travis even held Taylor’s hand as he helped her into their getaway car.
Rooting On the Chiefs Once More
The “Anti-Hero” singer made her return to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, to cheer on Travis Kelce on Sunday, Oct. 22. Taylor and Brittany Mahomes once again sat side-by-side as they rooted for the Chiefs in their game against the Los Angeles Charges.
Brittany also brought along her and Patrick’s 11-month-old baby boy, Bronze. As the game got started, Taylor was spotted holding her camera in the direction of Brittany and her little boy, who smiled for the camera as his mom held him on her hip. In more clips, the trio was game day ready, as they danced, chatted and cheered.
Meanwhile, Taylor showed her team spirit in a Chiefs crewneck and a black skirt. The GRAMMY-winning singer’s signature red lip was the perfect complement to her look. She also paid subtle tribute to Travis by rocking a friendship bracelet sporting his jersey number, 87.
Packing on the PDA In Argentina
Taylor kicked off the South American leg of her Eras Tour on Nov. 9 in Argentina, with a three-show run at the Estadio Monumental (a.k.a. River Plate Stadium) in Buenos Aires.
Since the Chiefs had a bye week, Travis flew down to Buenos Aires to check out the show, and was in attendance during the night of her shows.
Taylor surprised her beau with a lyric change to her song “Karma,” making a direct reference to him to the shock and excitement of fans. The singer was in the middle of her performance when she belted out, “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs, coming straight home to me.” Immediately after Swift sang that line, the entire crowd went wild.
After the show, Taylor and Travis also packed on some adorable PDA when she ran off the stage and jumped into his arms to give him a kiss – as seen in a video posted online that quickly went viral.
Talking With ‘Time’
The pop icon offered a candid reflection on the high-profile romance in an interview with Time in early December, as the magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year honoree.
“This all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell,” she said. “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… By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple. I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.”
“When you say a relationship is public, that means I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care,” she declared. “The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone. And we’re just proud of each other.”
She is aware, however, of the criticism surrounding how the NFL has handled coverage of her appearances at a handful of recent games. “I don’t know how they know what suite I’m in,” she said. “There’s a camera, like, a half-mile away, and you don’t know where it is, and you have no idea when the camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don’t know if I’m being shown 17 times or once… I’m just there to support Travis… I have no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads.”
Travis Returns the Praise
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end had the support of the singer during his game against the New England Patriots on Dec. 17, and couldn’t help but gush over her star power on an episode of his New Heights podcast.
“I mean, you don’t see an entire home team fanbase go insane for somebody wearing the opposite team’s colors,” Travis told his brother and co-host. The Patriots called attention to their famous visitor by showing her on the jumbo screen at one point, prompting a visceral reaction from the home crowd. “Just shows you how amazing that girl is. They went absolutely insane when they showed Taylor on the screen, yes.”
Christmas on the Grid Iron
The pair spent their first Christmas as a couple at Arrowhead Stadium as the Chiefs took on the Raiders, and Taylor was in the stands, rocking some x-mas themed Chiefs gear, to show her love and support. The singer also brought her parents – Andrea and Scott Swift – along on Christmas Day as a family to watch.
A source ET that “Taylor is planning to spend a lot more time at Travis’ house in Kansas City while she is on a break.”
The source continued, “They’re both very excited to be together, and Travis is making sure that Taylor feels comfortable and at home. They have mutual respect and admiration for one another, and their feelings for each other are sincere.”
For more on Taylor and Travis’ romance, check out the links below.
RELATED CONTENT:
