Strange Things About Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce's Relationship That Everyone Ignores

For almost the entirety of the time that Taylor Swift has been famous, her dating history has been rife with musicians and actors. But in September 2023, that all changed when the country-turned-pop legend was spotted at a Kansas City Chiefs game rooting for tight end Travis Kelce. After weeks of speculation, she and the NFL superstar took their romance public.

A month later, Kelce said during a press conference that while he felt "on top of the world after the Super Bowl," he felt "even more on top of the world" since linking with Swift. Meanwhile, Swift seemingly gushed over their relationship on her "The Tortured Poet's Department" album with the songs "So High School" and "The Alchemy."

In a nutshell, their love story seems right out of a rom-com. Swift, a global pop phenomenon, dates hunky Kelce, who has three Superbowl wins to his name — what's not to love? They're both in the prime of their career and are adored by America. In fact, fans on both sides have welcomed their courtship with open arms, with many speculating that the couple will get married. But are Swift and Kelce as perfect as they seem? There are a few weird things about their relationship that seemingly everyone ignores. 

The Kelces are a very close-knit family. Travis hosts the podcast "New Heights" with his brother Jason Kelce and has been constantly photographed with his parents, Donna and Ed Kelce, over the years. However, when he started dating Taylor Swift, he initially hid the relationship from his family. Jason discussed this on an episode of "The Pivot" podcast, saying: "I think he was very cautious about even telling me or anybody. Because I mean, the reality is she is under such a microscope that I think they wanted to make sure everything was done in a way that was respectful to people's privacy and I think they are still trying to do that."

Unfortunately, Jason never revealed how he found out about their love, but admitted that he "knew that there was something" after Travis had mentioned on a "New Heights" podcast episode that he tried to give Swift a friendship bracelet while attending an Eras tour concert, but failed. 

There may be a reason why Travis Kelce didn't rush to tell his family that he was dating Taylor Swift. In October 2023, Travis's mom,, Donna admitted to People that she wasn't a fan of Swift's music. "I would say not," she told the outlet when asked if she was a Swiftie. "My era was Earth, Wind and Fire, Chaka Khan, things like that. That's more my music." 

In the same interview, Donna, who now shares her son's football suite with Swift at games, also didn't seem interested in all the extra attention that comes with Swift's attendance. "When I go to a game, I'm basically focusing on what's happening on the field, not what's going on around me or what's happening in the suite, she said, adding "I'm a fan of football. That's foremost." 

Since making those comments, Donna and Swift have seemingly gotten closer and are often seen embracing during games when the Chiefs score. However, it's unclear what their relationship off the field is like. 

Much like Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce has his fair share of exes. Following his reality TV dating show "Chasing Kelce," he dated winner Maya Benberry in 2016 for a few months before ending things. The following year, he struck up a romance with sports broadcaster Kayla Nicole. Shortly after their relationship made headlines, Benberry took to Twitter in a series of now-deleted tweets claiming that Kelce had cheated on her with Nicole.

In September 2023, Benberry spoke once more about Kelce's alleged infidelity to The Daily Mail, telling the outlet: "Only time will tell, but like the saying always goes, 'Once a cheater, always a cheater.'" She further urged Swift to keep her eyes peeled now that she was involved with Kelce. "Taylor seems like such a fun girl with a beautiful spirit, so I wish her the best of luck, but I wouldn't be a girls' girl if I didn't advise her to be smart," Benberry said.

In early September 2024, a document dubbed "Comprehensive Media Plan for Travis Kelce's Public Relations Following Breakup with Taylor Swift" began circulating in a now-deleted Reddit post, which noted that the couple would mutually part ways on September 28, 2024. The papers contained the Full Scope Public Relations logo, which is Kelce's PR team. 

Alleged PR documents say Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift have planned their breakup for Sept 28th, 2024 @kfcbarstool @kfcradio

Presented by @DraftKings @DKSportsbook #DKPartner pic.twitter.com/qZxJX39Vtv

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 4, 2024

Speaking with E! News, Kelce's reps quickly confirmed the papers were false, issuing the following statement: "These documents are entirely false and fabricated and were not created, issued, or authorized by this agency." It continued: "We have engaged our legal team to initiate proceedings against the individuals or entities responsible for the unlawful and injurious forgery of documents." It's unclear where and how these papers originated, but it definitely is suspicious and could make one wonder if there is any truth to them. 

Since Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift started dating, fans have questioned whether their relationship is a PR stunt — and the reportedly bogus breakup PR strategy that circulated certainly didn't help alleviate those concerns. While she seemingly doesn't need any extra publicity, her relationship with Kelce has been an economic asset for the NFL, which could have given him a motive to be linked to her. In fact, Apex Marketing Group estimated that their relationship and Swift's attendance at the Chiefs game generated $331.5 million in equivalent brand value for the Chiefs and the NFL, per Quartz.

Another reason why fans might think that Swift and Kelce are in a PR relationship is the fact that she has been so public with him. Historically, Swift has been very private with her romantic relationships. Although she dated Joe Alwyn for six years, they were only publicly photographed together a handful of times. In other relationships, like when she was dating Jake Gyllenhaal, they managed to avoid the cameras entirely. But since making things official with Kelce, photos of the pair never seem to cease. In fact, Swift even brought him out on stage during a concert on her Eras tour. While it's possible that she's tired of sneaking around, it is a major shift.