Over the course of the past 12 months, Travis Kelce won one Super Bowl, landed a hosting gig on the upcoming Prime Video game show Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? and became the NFL’s highest-paid tight end. Taylor Swift shattered records with her highly successful Eras Tour, took home the Grammy Award for Album of the Year (her fourth!) and officially became a card-carrying member of the billionaires club.
The two powerhouses also fell in love, spectacularly and publicly. Their story is straight out of a Hollywood rom-com: On July 8, 2023, Kelce, 34, attended Swift’s show at Arrowhead Stadium with the hopes of giving her his phone number.
He recounted his disappointment over not being able to deliver his digits (via a handmade friendship bracelet) two weeks later on his podcast, New Heights, telling his brother, Jason Kelce, “I was kind of butthurt.” Swift, also 34, was impressed with Travis’ candid confession — she later called the move “metal as hell.”
What followed was a whirlwind romance involving behind-the-scenes matchmakers (sportscaster Erin Andrews and Travis’ teammate Patrick Mahomes have both separately taken credit for playing Cupid), her headline-generating appearances at his games, an epic backstage kiss in Buenos Aires, letting loose in the crowd at Coachella and, more recently, double dates with famous pals like Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper.
“This has been the best year of both of their lives,” a source exclusively shares in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “[Between] the Super Bowl and their families meeting and traveling the world together, it’s been quite a ride for Taylor and Travis.”
Hot Item
While neither is new to the fame game, being one-half of the most famous couple on Earth was more of a transition for Travis.
“His life has changed significantly with the increased public attention,” says a second source. “Taylor was worried that bringing Travis into her world would scare him away, but he embraced it and handled it so well.” (Travis addressed the newfound attention during an October 2023 press conference, saying, “You’ve got a lot of people that care about Taylor, and for good reason.”)
The source says Travis’ attitude “made her fall in love with him even more.”
A third source says there were some growing pains for Travis, who moved into a $6 million Kansas City mansion shortly after they went public.
“People would show up at his house and leave things on his doorstep,” says the source. “It kind of freaked him out at first. He didn’t feel safe.”
Travis’ close-knit family — including his mom, Donna Kelce, his brother, Jason, and his sister-in-law, Kylie Kelce — helped keep him grounded.
“Travis was a star before Taylor, but this has catapulted him to a household name,” says a fourth source. “He has been handling it the best he can. He’s always had good people around him.”
In a Groove
They spent months jet-setting around the globe to see each other during his football season and her Eras Tour. Travis memorably flew to Argentina for 48 hours to attend her November 11 concert.
“Taylor’s shows are unbelievable,” he told Us at his Kelce Jam festival on May 18. “If you haven’t been to them, you got to try it.” Swift, meanwhile, rushed from Japan to make it to Las Vegas within hours of the Super Bowl.
Now things have mellowed out a bit since the early, frenzied days of their romance. “Taylor and Travis are very confident in their relationship, so they don’t have to bend over backwards and travel to see each other for less than a day,” says the first source.
Adds the second source: “They’re in an easy era. They have daily FaceTimes when they’re apart and send cute texts to each other. They are wildly in love.”
Despite their hectic schedules, they make it work. “Taylor and Travis both have a lot of demands in their careers, which allows them the time and space to miss each other,” says the third source. The second source says they also stay connected with “little gestures and gifts to keep the romance alive.”
A Banner Year
Sources say Swift has never been happier. “Nobody has ever made Taylor feel this way,” reveals the third source. “Taylor and Travis bring out the best in each other and lift each other up. She absolutely sees this going the distance.”
Adds the first source: “A year in there is such an ease between them. It seems like they’ve been together longer because they are so in tune.”
Swift will get a three-month break from her Eras Tour between August and November. The first source says she plans on staying at Travis’ home in Kansas City while he plays in the NFL season.
“Taylor’s been having fun decorating his Kansas City [place],” says the second source, “and she’s looking forward to the simple joys of being together.”
Friends think Swift and Travis are in it for the long haul, but neither one is rushing anything. “They are taking things one step at a time,” says the second source, “and enjoying their journey together.”
For more on Travis and Swift’s romance, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
With reporting by Travis Cronin, Sarah Jones & Andrea Simpson
