The Early Days Of Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce's Relationship Were Full Of Secret Meetings

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship became a sensation in 2023, emerging as one of the most talked-about celebrity topics globally. The two were first romantically linked in September, with sources claiming they were secretly seeing each other. Swift's appearance at a Kansas City Chiefs game that same month marked a significant turning point, revealing their romance to the world for the first time. However, their relationship started earlier than anyone knew, with the early days marked by secret meetings held far away from prying eyes.

According to Dave Merritt, the defensive coach for the Chiefs, Swift was attending Kelce's games long before the public spotted her. "When she started to come around, it was privately," Merritt shared during an appearance on "The Sports Shop with Reese and K-Mac" podcast. "She was coming into the stadiums without people really knowing until the camera put a big spotlight on it."

Given the "Bad Blood" hitmaker's immense fame, it's no wonder that Swift wanted to keep her love life private until she was certain about the relationship's significance. While she and Kelce reportedly took all the necessary precautions to keep things under wraps, at least early on, there were subtle indications that they were into each other long before anyone took notice.

In July 2023, Travis Kelce publicly admitted to shooting his shot with Taylor Swift on "New Heights," his podcast with his brother, Jason Kelce. Travis, inspired by Swift's rabid fan base, crafted a friendship bracelet for the superstar with his phone number on it before attending The Eras Tour. However, the NFL star didn't get the opportunity to give it to her, quipping, "She doesn't meet anybody, or at least she didn't want to meet me, so I took it [personally]."

Despite his failed attempt at romancing her, Swift took notice of Travis gushing over her like a real Swiftie. In her TIME Person of the Year 2023 interview, the singer-songwriter described Travis' podcast shoutout as "metal as hell," revealing that they got together soon afterward. "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," Swift divulged.

The "All Too Well" singer also noted that she was comfortable with having a public relationship and standing by her partner as he pursued his passions instead of investing energy into hiding their relationship (we're looking at you, Joe Alwyn). Notably, while Travis' podcast confession ultimately brought them together, Swift had to initiate contact, and it wasn't entirely her idea either.

After Travis Kelce's podcast revelation, Taylor Swift received encouragement from a family member to reach out to him directly. According to her second cousin, Danny Frye III, who spoke to FloRacing, "[He] made a love connection between [Swift] and Travis Kelce." Though Frye didn't elaborate, Kelce himself confirmed the sentiment in a 2023 chat with The Wall Street Journal. 

"There were definitely people she knew that knew who I was," the football player clarified, referring to his Eras Tour performance experience. He added, "I had somebody playing Cupid," though Swift later made sure Kelce knew what a lucky man he was that she initiated contact. Interestingly, FOX Sports commentators Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson may have also played a role in getting the two stars together. 

In August 2023, they gave Kelce a shoutout on their own podcast, "Calm Down," urging Swift to give him a chance. However, according to Ben Marshall, a "Saturday Night Live" cast member who appeared on "Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out" podcast, Swift watched Kelce's "SNL" episode before they met and liked his sense of humor. In addition to secret meetings, the early days of their relationship were also full of not-so-secret serendipity.