Inside Scoop: How Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Relationship Shocked Everyone and Changed the Game Forever

Who would’ve thought that friendship bracelets—yep, those little nostalgic tokens from childhood—would kick off one of the most swoon-worthy celeb love stories of our era? Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s journey from podcast shoutouts to hand-in-hand strolls at Arrowhead Stadium is nothing short of a modern fairy tale, blending the glitz of a pop icon with the grit of an NFL tight end. As they’ve turned the usual dating game on its head, making love public and proud, it leaves us wondering: Can a powerhouse singer and a star athlete really balance fame, family, and a future together under the relentless spotlight? Let’s dive into every heartfelt moment, game-day cameo, and sweet gesture that led to their dazzling engagement—and trust me, you don’t want to miss a beat of this celebration of “Your English teacher and your gym teacher.” LEARN MORE

Big news: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged!!! In honor of the singer’s big news, we’re taking a look back at her sweet love story with the Chiefs tight end. 

As Taylor revealed in her TIME 2023 Person of the Year feature (and recently recapped on her New Heights podcast appearance), the spark between these two began long before fans originally realized. “This all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell,” Taylor told the publication. “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.”

If you’ve been living for the play-by-play of Trav and Tay over the last two years, here’s every detail of the couple’s relationship, from the friendship bracelets to their adorable engagement post.

July 4, 2023: Travis Kelce “takes a page” out of Taylor Swift’s book.

Travis made friendship bracelets for the participants at Tight End University over the summer. At the time it seemed like a coincidence, but now it has cemented the first part of their “Love Story.” In the video Travis filmed for NFL Canada on July 4, he claims he’s taking “a page out of Taylor Swift’s book.”

And it won’t be the last time!

July 8, 2023: Travis Kelce attends The Eras Tour at Arrowhead Stadium.

Although Travis alluded to a crush on Taylor in the past, it all came to fruition when he was spotted at Taylor’s Eras Tour show over the summer in Kansas City.

The Chiefs tight end was spotted enjoying the music from a VIP box during the show—which was TBH one of her best of the first United States leg. In addition to Taylor adding “Long Live” to the setlist, she also sang “Last Kiss” and “Dorothea” as surprise songs.

July 26, 2023: Travis reveals he shot his shot with Taylor.

Later that month, Travis opened up about his Eras Tour experience, and told his co-host and brother Jason Kelce, that he was “butthurt” that he didn’t get to meet Taylor. He had planned, the tight end explained, to give her a friendship bracelet with his phone 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 she sings,” he said on the New Heights episode.

July 29, 2023: Taylor performs “Stay, Stay, Stay” as a surprise song.

Only three days later, Taylor played a well-timed rendition of one of her only songs to mention football, “Stay, Stay, Stay” at the Eras Tour in Santa Clara. While it could’ve been another coincidence, this may have been Taylor’s public response to Travis’s podcast confession.

The lyrics go: “This morning I said we should talk about it / Cause I read you should never leave a fight unresolved / That’s when you came in wearing a football helmet and said ‘Okay let’s talk.’

September 12, 2023: Taylor and Travis are rumored to be “quietly hanging out.”

It seems like Travis manifested something real. The Messenger first reported that the “Anti-Hero” singer and the Chiefs tight end were “quietly hanging out” on Sept. 12, 2023.

The publication reported that Taylor had seen in Travis in New York City “a few weeks ago,” so—around sometime in August, most likely.

September 14, 2023: Jason Kelce comments on the relationship rumors.

As rumors continued to circulate, Eagles center Jason Kelce was finally asked for an update on his brother’s love life. “I’ve seen these rumors. I cannot comment,” Jason said during a Thursday Night Football panel, per PEOPLE.

A few days later on Sept. 20, Jason joked that the rumors were “100 percent true,” on the WIP Morning Show, before clarifying he had no idea.

September 20, 2023: Travis reveals he invited Taylor to a Chiefs game.

Travis went on the Pat McAfee Show and said he invited Taylor to attend a Chiefs game—and hinted at her upcoming appearance.

“I told her that I’ve seen her rock a stage in Arrowhead and she might have to come see me rock the stage at Arrowhead,” he said. “We’ll see what happens in the near future.”

September 24, 2023: Taylor Swift attends The Chiefs vs. Bears game.

Taylor has attended three Chiefs games so far.

Finally, the moment that broke the Internet. Taylor was spotted in the crowd at The Chiefs vs. Bears game on Sept. 24. And based on the photos, she totally hit it off with Travis’ mom, Donna Kelce. Taylor wasn’t just busy cozying up to his mom, though. She also took tons of photos with fans, and enjoyed some chicken tenders with ketchup and “seemingly ranch.” Everyone was in a frenzy online. You just had to be there.

Later, Travis and Taylor were spotted leaving Arrowhead Stadium hand-in-hand. The tight end whisked the “Bejeweled” singer away in his convertible, and apparently booked out an entire bar, Prime Social in Kansas City, for a postgame party. Photos later surfaced of the couple looking very cozy at the function.

And a few weeks later, more photos seemed to reveal that Taylor spent the day with Travis’ family at his Kansas City home leading up to the game—as she was photographed with Ed Kelce, Travis’ dad.

September 26, 2023: Travis gives Taylor another shoutout on his podcast.

After the absolute chaos of the previous weekend, Travis opened up about the big game on his next New Heights episode. “Shoutout to Taylor for pulling up, that was pretty ballsy,” he said. “She looked amazing and everyone talked about her in great light.”

The Chiefs player also said during the episode that his house had been flooded with paparazzi after the game (which is an important detail for later!).

September 30, 2023: Taylor invites Brittany Mahomes to dinner.

Brittany Mahomes photographed meeting Taylor Swift and Blake Lively for dinner.

As Taylor sings, “Karma” takes all her friends to dinner on the weekend. The night before Travis’ game in New York on Oct. 1, Taylor was spotted attending dinner with Sophie Turner, Blake Lively, and… special guest Brittany Mahomes.

ICYDK, Brittany is married to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Travis’ teammate.

October 1, 2023: Taylor and her entourage attend The Chiefs vs. Jets game.

Taylor Swift attended the New York Jets game with Blake Lively, Sophie Turner, Sabrina Carpenter and more.

The following weekend, Taylor made her second Chiefs game appearance at Met Life stadium to watch Travis’ team take on the New York Jets. She was spotted at the stadium with her full squad—including Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Sabrina Carpenter, Sophie Turner, and, of course, Donna Kelce.

October 5, 2023: Travis Kelce celebrates his 34th birthday in Kansas City.

Here’s one thing you should know about Travis: he was born in 1989. Yup. The tight end recently celebrated his 34th birthday, and while Taylor made no public appearances in Kansas City during the weekend, insiders say she was present.

Page Six reported the couple celebrated with a “chill night. And another source told the gossip account Deuxmoi that the couple may have bought out Fortunati Pizza in Kansas City for a celebration (or a lot of pizza). But these are simply rumors, and remain unconfirmed.

Taylor notably did not attend Travis’ football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 8.

October 6, 2023: Travis Kelce addresses the frenzy of dating Taylor Swift.

During a press conference leading up to his game against the Vikings, Travis was asked about the attention surrounding his budding relationship with Taylor—and he had a lot of sweet things to say.

“It feels like I was on top of the world after the Super Bowl—and right now, even more on top of the world,” he said at the conference, per E! News.

Travis did admit that he had to acclimate to the newfound attention, but he didn’t seem to mind. “We’re learning with the paparazzi just taking photos all over the place,” he said. “At the same time, it comes with it. You’ve got a lot of people that care about Taylor, and for good reason.”

October 11, 2023: Taylor has her Eras Tour movie premiere in Los Angeles.

Taylor Swift wore an Oscar De La Renta gown to the Eras Tour premiere.

While many Swifties hoped Travis would make his red carpet debut in Los Angeles for the Eras Tour film, the football player had to rest up for his Thursday night game. Instead, he allegedly sent Taylor a $2,500 bouquet of flowers to celebrate her success, according to Perez Hilton.

October 12, 2023: Taylor attends another Chiefs game.

Donna Kelce joked that meeting Taylor was “okay,” on the Today Show.

After her Los Angeles premiere, Taylor quickly popped back to Kansas City to see Travis take on the Denver Broncos.

October 14, 2023: Taylor and Travis attend Saturday Night Live together.

Travis later reacted to “replacing” Taylor’s security on his podcast.

Taylor and Travis went to see Ice Spice perform on Saturday Night Live in mid-October, Travis later explained on an episode of New Heights.

After eating dinner at Nobu in New York, the couple serendipitously attended—and even made cameos on the show. Taylor introduced Ice Spice, while Travis made an appearance in a sketch about the Swelce hysteria.

A source later told PEOPLE that the couple attended the show’s afterparty, and partied there until after 4 a.m. “Taylor and Travis were there all night and they were so smiley, they were so happy,” the source told PEOPLE. “They were so talkative. They were really fun. They talked to every single person in the room that talked to them.”

In a later episode of Las Culturistas, SNL cast member Bowen Yang said nobody knew the couple was attending the show.

October 15, 2023: Taylor and Travis have dinner together in New York.

A source told Entertainment Tonight that the pair’s connection has been “easy.”

The next night, the couple were spotted again in New York for a date night—this time at the Waverly Inn. While the date was much more lowkey compared to their SNL appearance, the paparazzi photos maximized their joint slay.

October 18, 2023: Travis Kelce buys new mansion in Kansas City for privacy.

Ladies, if he wanted to, he would. Travis Kelce reportedly purchased a $6 million mansion in Kansas City last week, according to the Los Angeles Times. The star footballer reportedly snagged the pad for more privacy, as his current Kansas City home leaves him very exposed to paparazzi, per Page Six.

The 17,000-square-foot home reportedly has six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a pool, and a mini golf course.

October 21, 2023: Travis responds to a couple’s Halloween costume.

With Halloween just around the corner, “Travis and Taylor” have already become one of the most popular costume choices. On Oct. 21, fashion designer and musician KidSuper shared his Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce couples’ costume, and even Travis himself reacted in the comments.

“😂😂😂😂 you’re the 🐐,” Travis penned on the post.

October 22, 2023: Taylor attends another Chiefs game.

Taylor’s attendance on October 22 marked the pop star’s fourth game of the season.

Taylor most recently attended the Chiefs game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 22, decked out in Chiefs gear and a friendship bracelet that read “87.” The star was photographed spending the day with Travis’ family, and later enjoyed the game in a box with Brittany Mahomes. The two women seem to be getting close—they literally have a secret handshake with each other.

Afterward, Taylor was spotted leaving the stadium with Travis, and on Oct. 23, TMZ revealed photos of Taylor kissing Travis on the cheek. I repeat, kissing Travis on the cheek!!!!

November 12, 2023: Taylor changes song lyrics and kisses Travis on video.

It was the video seen round the world. Well, videos, plural. First, Taylor changed the lyrics to “Karma” on stage during one leg of the Eras tour, staying, “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs coming straight home to me.” Cue everyone absolutely freaking out. Even Travis, who can be seen smiling and covering his cheeks when he hears her little change.

Then, after the show, a fan caught a video of Taylor running up to Travis and giving him one of the cutest smooches ever before they turn and walk behind a curtained-off area.

November 20, 2023: Travis opens up about his relationship in a new interview.

Alert! Alert! Travis got candid about falling for Tay in his WSJ. Magazine cover story. In fact, it seems like Travis got some inside help from Team Tay. “There were definitely people she knew that knew who I was, in her corner [who said]: Yo! Did you know he was coming? I had somebody playing Cupid,” he told the publication.

In the interview, Travis also talked about how in the early stages of their relationship, he worked hard to keep things on the DL: “That was the biggest thing to me: make sure I don’t say anything that would push Taylor away.”

The story also featured a friend recalling a particularly cozy night when Travis and Tay snuggled up around his fire pit, sang “Teenage Dirtbag” together, and looked like two “peas in a pod.”

November 29, 2023: Travis reveals his nickname for Taylor.

In an episode of his New Heights podcast, Travis gave a shoutout to Taylor for celebrating his recent record of becoming the fastest tight end in NFL history to reach 11,000 receiving yards.

The pop star simply liked an Instagram post from the Chiefs celebrating Travis. But his brother Jason made it a big deal, telling Travis on the podcast, “You might not care about records, but you know who does? A 92 percenter by the name of… Taylor Swift. That’s right. She liked an Instagram announcement from the chiefs about you breaking this record.”

Travis replied with a laugh, “All right now. Um, thanks, Tay, I appreciate you.” The comment was simple and sweet, but it sent fans of the couple spiraling because it seemed like Travis inadvertently shared his nickname for Taylor.

December 6, 2023: Taylor shares what being in a “public relationship” with Travis means to her.

In her TIME interview, Taylor made it clear that she and Travis wouldn’t be shying away from the spotlight anytime soon—in fact, she embraced being part of a highly-public power couple. “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 told the publication. “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.”

February 11, 2024: Taylor and Travis celebrate the Chiefs Super Bowl win.

Taylor flew halfway across the world to see Travis play (and win!) the 2024 Super Bowl. She rushed to the field right after the game for an iconic kiss with her man!

April 19, 2024: Taylor drops ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ album…with potential songs about Travis.

Taylor dropped her latest album, and fans quickly speculate about which songs were an ode to her relationship with Travis (ahem, “So High School” and “Alchemy”).

June 23, 2024: Travis joins Taylor onstage at the Eras Tour.

In case it wasn’t already clear these two are serious, Taylor brought Travis onstage during her performance of ”I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” at Wembley Stadium in London. He was wearing a full tuxedo, complete with a top hat (is this hinting at a future wedding?)

September 18, 2024: Travis and Taylor both see marriage in their futures.

According to one Us Weekly source, the pair are having serious conversations about their future: “They both see marriage as something they want sooner rather than later, and they both want kids. Taylor has always [been excited by] the idea of marriage and starting a family. She just hadn’t found The One until now.”

December 13, 2024: Travis throws Taylor an epic 35th birthday party.

“Travis hired a private chef and bartender to cook and make cocktails for them,” one source reported, adding, “He had his gifts delivered beforehand so they would be a surprise. Everything was decorated beautifully with flowers everywhere. He had jewelry engraved especially for Taylor, he gave her countless roses and showered her in gifts. Travis went out of his way to make sure everything was perfect.”

January 26, 2025: Taylor celebrates the Kansas City Chiefs’ AFC win with a kiss.

Taylor attended the Chiefs vs. Bills AFC game in Kansas City, and celebrated Travis’s win with an on-field smooch. (You can read all about their body language that night here.)

February 6, 2025: Travis gushes about Taylor in an interview.

In an interview with People, Travis had glowing things to say about his girlfriend and her iconic Eras Tour: “Her work ethic, what I saw on that tour last year, was pretty remarkable. I mean, to see the week in, week out traveling from one country to the next.”

He went on, saying: “The band, the singers, it was everybody involved, and it was an absolute machine and it was something I could admire watching and take a lot of notes from.”

February 9, 2025 Taylor supports Travis and the Chiefs.

Taylor was spotted supporting Travis and the Chiefs at another Superbowl. 

April 2025: Travis and Taylor enjoy a break from the spotlight.

Amid Travis’s off-season and Taylor’s break from tour, the couple enjoyed every moment together. According to a report from Us Weekly, they are a “normal life,” as they try to spend time with family. “Taylor and Travis have been between Kansas, Nashville, Rhode Island and New York,” an insider tells the outlet, sharing that they watch movies and work out in their downtime.

According to one of People‘s sources, they “have been traveling nonstop and very much enjoying it.”

“They are making the most of their time off together. They are hanging out with friends, too. It’s a special time for them,” the source added. “They value the same things. Right now, the focus is very much on private time out of the spotlight.”

July 24, 2025: Travis posts a series of sweet offseason pictures.

Much to the fans’ delight, Travis shared a roundup of photos on Instagram, featuring plenty of sweet moments with Queen Tay. “Had some adventures this offesason, keep it

August 12, 2025: Taylor appears on Travis’s New Hights Podcast

In a two two hour candid, Taylor shared more fun details about her early courtship with Travis (and credits the podcast as his “personal dating app”). This podcast appearance was complete with plenty of sweet footage of the pair snuggling up together, along with some exciting insider details about her newest studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, dropping October 3.

August 26, 2025: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged!

Taylor and Travis announced their engagement with a roundup of gorgeous photos, with the sweet caption: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married 🧨.”

It’s a love story—and she just said YES!

Olivia Evans (she/her) is an editorial assistant at Women’s Health. Her work has previously appeared in The Cut and Teen Vogue. She loves covering topics where culture and wellness intersect. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, running, and watching rom-coms.