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Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift
Photos By Alex Grimm + David Eulitt/Getty Images
Culture > Entertainment

Travis Kelce Opened Up About How His Relationship With Taylor Swift Began In A New Interview

Karly Ramnani

By now, I’m sure we’ve all heard about Travis Kelce’s budding romance with Taylor Swift. Though the singer rarely mentions her dating life to the press these days, Kelce hasn’t shied away from opportunities to talk about his new relationship. In July 2023, the NFL star opened up about how he and Swift first connected — or tried to — on his New Heights podcast, which he hosts with his brother, Jason Kelce. In a Nov. 20 interview with WSJ, Kelce revisited the story  and shared more details on how 2023’s favorite celebrity couple came to be — and his sweet account of the relationship’s beginnings has fans swooning. 

ICYMI, Kelce tried to give his number to Swift using  a friendship bracelet during the July 8 stop of her history-making Eras tour in Kansas City. As one would expect, Swift’s strict security team blocked Kelce’s in-person advances. While speaking to WSJ, Kelce revealed that after  his failed flirting attempt on New Heights, a member of Swift’s team contacted him and essentially “play[ed] Cupid,” Though this was completely unexpected, Kelce soon learned how he got “lucky enough” for Swift to text him. “There were definitely people she knew that knew who I was, in her corner [who said] ‘Yo! Did you know he was coming?’” he told WSJ. 

Kelce went on to talk about the first time Swift supported him during his football game in Kansas City on Sept. 24. As expected, the singer was given the royal treatment that day.  “She’ll probably hate me for saying this, but when she came to Arrowhead, they gave her the big locker room as a dressing room, and her little cousins were taking pictures in front of my locker,” Kelce said. 

The athlete went on to reveal that he managed to stay calm during their first date in New York, which is  an impressive feat, considering my heart pounds whenever Swift so much as notices me on social media. Kelce’s friends were way more nervous than he was. Kelce revealed that they offered advice like “Don’t f*ck this up!” to which his response was, “Yeah – got it.” At first, his biggest concern was saying anything that could push Swift away, but it looks like he’s avoided that seeing as Swift seems smitten with him! 

Amidst public scrutiny and criticism of her career back in 2017, Swift opted to keep her relationship with her ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn more private. Public sightings of Swift and Alwyn weren’t common and the two rarely mentioned each other in interviews. But with Kelce, the singer felt comfortable shouting him out in front of a crowd of 70,000 fans while performing “Karma,” and kissing him while in the audience’s full view.

In the interview, Kelce unreservedly praises Swift’s sense of humor, intellect, work ethic, and bond with her family, among many other qualities he admires. They’re also not afraid to loosen up in front of each others’ core groups, either — one of Kelce’s friends recalls one instance where they broke into a chaotic duet of “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus after drinking some wine. 

Users on X (formerly known as Twitter) had the most adorable reactions to this new insight on Swift and Kelce’s relationship. 

Swift and Kelce are so perfect for each other, I’m literally weak. 

Karly Ramnani is a junior at the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles, studying music industry, with a strong passion for art and journalism. They discovered this amazing community shortly after starting college, and are super stoked to a national writer for Her Campus this semester. Karly worked with Her Campus in Fall 2022 as well, as the Entertainment & Culture Editorial Intern. Other outlets they've written for include All Country News, The Honey Pop, Medium, Newsbreak, and their own startup music blog Playlists & Polaroids. They currently serve as a campus ambassador for Amazon Prime Student and Tinder. When they're not writing blogposts and music reviews, you can find them composing and performing music, putting their nose in a rom-com book, binge watching "The Summer I Turned Pretty," or crying over Taylor Swift.