While Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” tells tales of heartbreak, she and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce appear to be going strong.
The NFL star recently referred to Swift as his “significant other” at a charity gala, where the couple were spotted hand-in-hand as they supported Patrick Mahomes’ foundation.
The couple also made an adorable appearance at a Coachella just days before Swift’s new album dropped. Then, to promote her lead single, “Fortnight,” she shared new videos documenting a “fortnight” in her life, featuring a clip of Kelce leaning in for a kiss in the kitchen.
Kelce saw his first “Eras Tour” concert last summer at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City and famously expressed his interest in the singer shortly after. The two officially became an item, and since then, their love has traveled internationally, with Kelce being spotted at her shows in Argentina, Singapore and Australia.
Swift and Travis Kelce have been dating since at least September 2023, when the “Anti-Hero” singer first popped up at a Kansas City Chiefs game to cheer on the tight end. The appearance broke the internet and came after months of dating rumors.
Throughout the rest of the NFL season, Swift became a fixture in suites and on TV screens, attending more than 10 Chiefs games and making an appearance at the Super Bowl.
How did they get here? Here’s a detailed timeline of their relationship up to this point.
May 12, 2023: Taylor Swift says she’s an Eagles fan
Taylor Swift, who was born in Pennsylvania, released the song “Gold Rush” in 2020, which features the lyrics, “My Eagles T-shirt hanging from the door.”
During her May 12 Philadelphia stop on the “Eras Tour,” Swift cleared up speculation about the lyrics by revealing that she was referring to the NFL team, not the “Hotel California” band.
“Guys, like, c’mon. I’m from Philly. Of course it’s the team,” she said onstage in a video shared by the NFL.
In February, the Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs at the 2023 Super Bowl. The game made headlines for being the first time brothers played against each other in the championship game.
Enter: Travis Kelce.
July 8, 2023: Travis Kelce attends ‘Eras Tour’ stop in Kansas City
Travis Kelce, on the heels of his Super Bowl victory over brother Jason Kelce, attended one of Swift’s “Eras Tour” concerts like millions of fans in the summer of 2023. But while Swifties were looking forward to hearing some of the musician’s biggest hits, Travis Kelce arrived with a plan to get Swift’s attention.
The athlete shared on the July 26 episode of the “New Heights” podcast, which he co-hosts with his brother, that he created a friendship bracelet with his phone number and wanted to give it to Swift at one of her Arrowhead Stadium shows in Kansas City.
“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. So I was a little butthurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her,” Travis Kelce explained on the podcast July 26.
He was bummed but still appreciated Swift’s impressive performance. “She doesn’t meet anybody or at least she didn’t want to meet me, so I took it personal. But it was an unbelievable show,” he said.
Jason Kelce chimed in and joked, “She probably just hasn’t gotten over the Super Bowl yet. She’s a big Eagles fan, so maybe she just made something up and just didn’t want to talk to you.”
Travis Kelce reflected on this podcast shoutout at a Feb. 7 press conference ahead of the 2024 Super Bowl, revealing that he “never thought it would have landed.”
“I didn’t even think I would have gotten a response from her,” he said.
Aug. 2, 2023: Travis Kelce is asked about Taylor Swift by a reporter
NFL Network reporter Andrew Siciliano in an Aug. 2 interview asked the Chiefs tight end about the pop star.
As soon as Siciliano mentioned the “Anti-Hero” singer’s name in the video, Travis Kelce started laughing. The journalist then started to ask about his previous attempt to get Swift’s attention.
“I said what I said,” Travis Kelce replied. “And I meant what I said when I said it.”
He continued, “You know, what? It is what it is. I’m not going to talk about my personal life. I know what you writers want to hear. And you want to hear more about that, and I’m not going to give you anything.”
Siciliano pressed on, wondering if Swift reached out to Travis Kelce.
“And that’s going to wrap it up here at NFL training camp,” he playfully said before the clip ended, skirting the question.
Late August 2023: Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift hang out in New York
Travis Kelce and Swift hung out in New York more than a month before Swift attended the Chiefs-Bears game Sept. 24, a source close to the situation told TODAY — meaning they linked up sometime before the end of August.
Aug. 31, 2023: Jason Kelce teases Travis Kelce for his mustache — with a reference to Taylor Swift
Travis Kelce discussed his decision to bring back a mustache during the Chiefs’ training camp on the Season Two premiere of his podcast “New Heights,” which came out Aug. 31, 2023. He said he has styled his facial hair that way every training camp for the past few years to imitate his coach.
“Have you found out what Taylor Swift thinks of your mustache?” Jason Kelce cheekily asked, likely poking fun of his brother’s famous failed attempt to give her a friendship bracelet during her Kansas City stop on the “Eras Tour” in July.
“Yeah, we’re not going to bring up Taylor Swift in this episode, but something tells me she’s going to like it,” Travis Kelce responded with a smirk.
Sept. 15, 2023: Jason Kelce addresses dating rumors involving brother Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift
In September — two months after Travis Kelce said he tried to make a move on Swift — the dating rumors stayed strong, and Travis Kelce’s brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, weighed in on several occasions.
After Philadelphia defeated the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 14, analyst and retired NFL star Tony Gonzalez unexpectedly referenced Swift in an interview with Jason Kelce and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. He couched the question by saying his 15-year-old daughter is “a big fan of a certain pop star.”
“You have a family member, a brother, and I’ve been hearing rumors. … Can you comment?” he asked Jason Kelce.
“I’ve seen these rumors,” the Jason Kelce responded. “I cannot comment.”
He added, “Ever since ‘Catching Kelce,’ everybody’s been infatuated with Travis’ love life, so I don’t really know what’s going on there. I know Trav is having fun and we’ll see what happens with whoever he ends up with,” before laughing. (Travis Kelce’s search for love was documented on the E! reality series “Catching Kelce” in 2016.)
Jason Kelce later backtracked during a Sept. 20 appearance on 94 WIP.
“Tony kind of blindsided me with that question on Thursday night,” he said. “It’s hard to answer because I don’t really know a lot about what’s happening with Travis’ love life. His business is his business. I stay out of that world. But having said that, I think he’s doing great. I think it’s all 100% true. I hope that this s— goes a mile.”