The most notable news from our resident popstar BFF Taylor Swift (aside from her record-breaking Eras Tour movie, The Tortured Poets Department, and Reputation (Taylor’s Version), of course) is her most recent boyfriend update. Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift were first linked after Travis tried to give the singer his phone number during one of her concerts this year. And after a few NFL games, getaway car rides, and restaurant takeovers later, it looks like this relationship isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Here’s a timeline on everything we know about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship!
A Timeline Of Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce’s Relationship
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September, 24 2023 – Taylor Swift Started Attending Kansas City Chiefs Games
Taylor Swift started attending Kansas City Chiefs games in 2023, seemingly after an indirect invite from Travis Kelce himself. When Taylor played her Eras Tour at Arrowhead Stadium (the Chiefs’ home stadium), Travis tried to give her a friendship with his number on it.
“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 told his brother after Jason during an episode of their New Heights podcast. “I was a little butt hurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her.”
Considering Taylor Swift has now gone to many Chiefs games — and nearly broken the internet — we’re pretty sure he’s not upset anymore!
On September 24, 2023, Taylor Swift watched the NFL game with Travis’ mom, Donna. After the football game — in which Taylor sat with Donna, and created (another) pop culture phenomenon with a single photo — not only did Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce leave the Arrowhead Stadium locker room together, but they also drove away in Travis’ convertible as a pair!
Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images
October 1, 2023 – Taylor Brought Some Friends To Watch The Chiefs
On October 1, 2023, Taylor was joined by all-star BFFs Sabrina Carpenter, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Sophie Turner, and Hugh Jackman to watch the Chiefs play against the New York Jets. While Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift didn’t leave the stadium together after *this* game was over, the fact that Taylor was surrounded by so many of her friends felt like they were there to support something quite special.
We’d be remiss not to mention a few easter eggs from this game while we’re at it! This romance feels so much like a callback to Taylor’s 1989 era, where she spent a lot of 2013 to 2015 hanging with her friends in the coolest NYC spots. Plus, she’s wearing all black (and some edgy accessories on her shorts) while we all speculate on what she’s up to and who she’s dating, which is not too dissimilar from her Reputation era.
October 12, 2023 – Taylor Swift Makes A Good First Impression
We know Taylor always tries to make a good impression (hello “Mirrorball!”), but it turns out, she also makes a good impression without even trying.
The first time Taylor met Travis Kelce’s dad, Ed, he noticed how genuine she was when she started helping around the suite. “She gets up to go get a drink or something, and she starts picking up empty bottles, cans, plates that are scattered around,” he toldPeople. “And I’m just thinking, ‘I don’t think she got the diva memo. She didn’t get the spoiled musician. She doesn’t know how to pull that off.’ And that really to me said a whole lot.”
Photo by Will Heath/NBC
October 14, 2023 – Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce Were On SNL
Yes, Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce were both on the October 14 episode of Saturday Night Live in 2023. The couple attended the SNL afterparty together and fans were very quick to spot how much the football player took care of the singer. He opened doors for her, made sure she was okay, and reportedly even told a bodyguard that he could step aside. When I first saw the images, they looked so much like a rom-com cover to me that I thought they were photoshopped!
Then on the following Sunday night, Travis and Taylor were seen in New York City again as they made their way into a restaurant (once again holding hands!). It might be important for Swifties to note that both of Taylor’s outfits are black, edgy, and very Reputation-coded… I can’t wait to see what she has up her sleeve!
Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images
October 19, 2023 – Travis Apparently Plans To Visit Taylor On Her International Tour
At this point, ET had reported that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were “all in” on their relationship, according to an inside source. They told the outlet that Travis intended to head to Buenos Aires, Argentina while he was on a bye-week for the Kansas City Chiefs. We hope he was able to give her those friendship bracelets this time!
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
October 22, 2023 – Taylor Swift Is Improving Travis Kelce’s Game
After a 31-17 win on October 22, 2023, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid acknowledged Taylor’s influence on Travis’ game during a press conference. He noted that Travis’ performance is only improving and that “Taylor can stay around all she wants.”
Image via @chiara_ / Instagram
The October 22 game also appeared to be the couple’s official hard launch. Chiefs wide reciever Mecole Hardman Jr.’s girlfriend Chariah Gordon posted a series of photos with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce after the game — including this one where Taylor’s kissing Travis on the cheek! Swoon!
Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images
October 31, 2023 – Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Celebrate Halloween Together
On an episode of Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast, Travis said he loves the idea of a dinner party on Halloween night. “Like a Halloween dinner party. Everybody comes in costumes and we have a party,” he says in the conversation.
But he also refuses to admit what costume he picked. “I’m gonna let mine be a surprise,” he says. “I’ll make sure everybody sees it, and we’ll talk about it after Halloween.”
Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship only continues to get deeper in October 2023, especially since a source told ET Online that Taylor could be the one for Travis: “Everyone close to Travis loves that he is happy. He is on the path to finding that special person in Taylor.”
However, given the frenzy around Taylor, and the media coverage of their relationship in general, Travis’ family is also fairly concerned for their safety. (And after hundreds of fans showed up uninvited to see Taylor attend a private wedding, we kind of are too, TBH).
“They’re so appreciative of their fans, but hope to keep some aspects of their relationship private going forward,” the source continued. “This level of stardom is something new to Travis, and although he can handle it, he is still getting used to it. Safety is a major concern among everyone, especially given how passionate fans feel about their relationship.”
Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images
November 5, 2023 – Taylor Swift (Virtually) Celebrates Travis Kelce’s New Record
After the Kansas City Chiefs game on November 5, 2023, People posted on Instagram celebrating Travis Kelce’s new title as the KC Chiefs’ leading receiver with 10,941 receiving yards. Taylor Swift liked the post, and considering she’s very strategic and intentional about her Instagram activity, Swifites were very excited.
“Me giggling cuz TS liked this post,” one user commented. “It’s an interesting time for Taylor & Kelce” another said. “They are both at supremely high career success points. What joy!”
On November 9, 2023, a source told US Weeklythat Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce “actually spend a lot of one-on-one time together and have developed a very real connection,” plus the fact that “they have very detailed plans coming up on how to stay together while she’s on tour and he has games.”
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
November 11, 2023 – Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce Have A Rom-Com Moment
On November 11, 2023, Taylor changed the lyrics of her song “Karma” from “Karma is the guy on the screen coming straight home to me” to “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs coming straight home to me” (a move that seemed somewhat spontaneous considering how surprised her backup dancers were!).
Travis revealed on the November 15 episode of the New Heights podcast that he had a “little bit of a clue” she’d change the lyrics.
“Definitely when I heard it come out of her mouth, [it] still shocked me,” he said. “I was like…’Oh, she really just said that, alright.'” He was so shocked in fact, that he didn’t even realize Taylor’s dad was trying to high five him. “Mr. Swift, I apologize big guy,” he continued. “I never miss a high five too, big high five guy!”
And, after the show, Taylor went straight up to Travis standing outside a VIP tent and the coupleshared a kiss. It felt like it was straight out of a rom-com — a pop star running up to a star football player and surprising him with a kiss! The crowd at the concert went wild, but the internet also couldn’t stop talking about it!
“This is sooooo adorable,” one X user said. “Her little run. His hands behind his back like he’s waiting for his prom date or something. Ughhh they’re both in deep.”
Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images
November 20, 2023 – Travis Kelce Spills On His Relationship In WSJ Magazine
Travis Kelce once again broke the internet with his WSJ Magazine cover story. In it, he talks about football, his family, and (of course) Taylor Swift. “I’ve never been a man of words. Being around her, seeing how smart Taylor is, has been f*cking mind-blowing,” he says. “Obviously I’ve never dated anyone with that kind of aura about them…But at the same time, I’m not running away from any of it…She’s just living, enjoying life. When she acts like that I better not be the one acting all strange.”
Even Kelce’s mom had something to add! “I can tell you this,” she says in the interview. “He’s happier than I’ve seen him in a long time… God bless him, he shot for the stars!”
Fans were also hoping to find out if Taylor and Travis were spending Thanksgiving together. Via Page Six, Taylor was set to fly back from her Eras Tour shows in Rio de Janeiro to spend the holidays in the states before heading back for another show on November 24. TMZreported that the couple “plans to be together for the holidays,” which included lining their schedules up to spend as much time together as they can.
Taylor celebrated another one of Travis’ milestones on Instagram, when she liked a post from the Kansas City Chiefs. “Fastest tight end to 11k receiving yards AND the only player in franchise history to do it,” the post says. According to a Daily Mail source, as soon as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour wrapped up its 2023 dates, she moved into Travis’ private Kansas City mansion (which he reportedly bought for them to spend time together) for the duration of her break — which included her birthdayand Christmas.
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
December 3, 2023 – Taylor Shows Up To The Chiefs Game Looking Festive
Taylor Swift hung out in the box seats with Brittany Mahomes in Green Bay, Wisconsin during the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Green Bay Packers.
Not only is Taylor Swift’s jacket KC Chiefs red, but it was also totally Christmas appropriate! “Travis’ friends think this is the real deal for him,” an insider told Peopleat the end of November 2023. “They’re still a little shocked by all of it — that he’s dating the Taylor Swift, but they’ve seen how down to earth she is with his friends and family.”
But before Taylor donned her Elmo-approved red coat, the couple was already in the Christmas spirit. They showed up to Miracle, a pop-up bar in Kansas City, on December 1, for the Chiefs’ holiday party. It appears they were wearing some festive sweatshirts (as well as Taylor’s signature red lip). I hope they also got to have some more chicken with “seemingly ranch”.