Taylor Swift is one of the biggest celebrities in the world right now, with over 200 million records sold worldwide and dozens of platinum-selling albums. The pop singer is no stranger to celebrity romances, having famously dated Harry Styles, John Mayer, Joe Jonas, and several others. Swifties went wild when Taylor confirmed her romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in October 2023. Though the relationship is still fairly new, the pair have been a media sensation in recent months, leading to a notable uptick in NFL and pop music crossovers. Here's a comprehensive timeline of the relationship so far.
July 8 2023: The Pair Nearly Meet At Swift's Eras Tour
Hyper-focused Taylor Swift fans quickly noted Travis Kelce's appearance at the "Blank Space" singer's July performance of her Eras Tour. The Chiefs player caught the show from a private viewing box and later confessed to media outlets that he tried to meet with the singer after the show but ultimately failed to do so. During the show, Kelce exchanged friendship bracelets with fellow fans, embracing a known tradition among Taylor Swift's biggest enthusiasts.
September 2023: Rumors Begin To Swirl That The Pair Are Dating
While we don't know the exact date that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce met, a September 16 ESPN report playfully jested that the pair may have been seeing each other romantically. Travis's brother, Jason Kelce, who plays center for the Philadelphia Eagles, jokingly confirmed the rumors as "100 percent true," igniting a frenzy of fans who believed the relationship was confirmed. Jason quickly backtracked his comments, elucidating, "I don't really know a lot about Travis's love life. I try to keep his business kind of his business, stay out of that world."
September 24 2023: Swift Attends A Kansas City Chiefs Game
Travis Kelce explained during a September 21 interview on The Pat McAfee Show that he had invited Taylor Swift to come to an NFL game, seemingly hinting that the appearance would serve as a romantic gesture. Just three days later, Swift fulfilled this request, donning Kansas City gear and cheering when Kelce scored a touchdown. Adding fuel to the romance rumors, Taylor Swift viewed the NFL game from Kelce's suite, beside his mother, Donna, and even left the venue together. The game took place at Arrowhead Stadium, the same location where Kelce had watched the singer perform live just months earlier.
October 2023: Taylor Swift Attends Multiple Games As The NFL Leans Into The Rumors
Taylor's NFL experience wasn't a one-off event, as the "Bad Blood" vocalist continued to attend Kansas City games throughout October. Swift was at the October 1 match against the New York Jets, the October 12 match against the Denver Broncos, and the October 22 match against the Los Angeles Chargers. During this time, the NFL leaned full-swing into the budding relationship, including a host of media coverage and social media posts referencing the pair.
Travis Kelce explained during an episode of his podcast, New Heights With Jason and Travis Kelce, that the league was leaning into the shared audience of sports and music fans. However, he and Jason agreed they were overdoing it with the couple's constant promotion. During this time, Travis explained that he was receiving more paparazzi attention than ever before, including photographers skulking outside his home, looking to snap pictures of him as he returned from practice.
October 2023: The Pair Seemingly Confirms The Relationship At Saturday Night Live
Both Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce made surprise appearances at the long-running comedy show, which included a sketch about the constant media coverage their relationship has inspired. In a life-imitating-art scenario, reporters and paparazzi voraciously followed the pair as they attended the SNL afterparty. The couple confirmed their relationship to the world by publicly kissing, cuddling, and holding hands.
Following Kansas City's October 22 game against the Chargers, pictures emerged of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce together behind the scenes at Arrowhead Stadium. Shared by wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr.'s girlfriend Chariah Gordon, the photos feature a shot capturing Swift giving Kelce a peck on the cheek.
November 10 2023: The Couple Go On An International Date Night
Harsh weather forced the postponement of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour stop at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires on November 10. This presented an opportunity for her to spend the evening with Travis Kelce instead. They visited the upscale restaurant Elena at the Four Seasons Hotel, where photographs captured them holding hands as they left. The following day, Travis attended Taylor's Eras performance, accompanied by her father in the VIP section. Swift even referenced her romance with the tight end directly by adjusting the lyrics to her hit song "Karma," singing, "Karma is the guy on the Chiefs coming straight home to me."
December 6 2023: Swift Publicly Speaks On Her Romance With Kelce For The First Time
Taylor Swift gave the public a brief glimpse into her love life during an interview with Time magazine after being named Time's 2023 Person of the Year. In her interview, Swift explained the origins of their romance, which actually started shortly after Kelce attended her Eras Tour performance on July 8. The singer stated, "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... 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."
December 2023-January 2024: The Couple Continues To Support One Another At Public Events
Throughout December and January, Taylor Swift has continually appeared in the stands at Kansas City Chiefs games nationwide. Likewise, the pair have been spotted making outings at many events, including an after-party following the Chiefs' Christmas Day game against the Las Vegas Raiders. The pair have been seen blending families throughout the romance, with multiple sightings of Swift's parents intermingling with Kelce's loved ones.
By all accounts, the NFL has toned down the promotional material referencing the couple, though miscellaneous posts of this variety still pop up on occasion. For now, everything seems to be smooth sailing for the biggest power couple of 2023.