How Hallmark Caught The Ire Of Taylor Swift Haters With One Simple Casting

For many, the Hallmark channel ranks as must-watch TV, especially when it comes to the holidays. But a recent casting decision has fans doubting the network's 2024 movie line-up. In September 2024, the feel-good channel announced that Donna Kelce would be making cameos in not just one, but two of the movies debuting in the end-of-year holiday season, prompting moans and groans from Taylor Swift-hating viewers.

As the mother of both former Philadelphia Eagles player Jason Kelce and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, Donna has been a beloved NFL mom for years. Still, the entire Kelce family has seen an uptick in attention ever since Travis started dating pop culture sensation Taylor Swift. As things started getting serious between the two celebs, the network announced that Donna would be making her Hallmark debut in the football-centered flick "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story," starring Tyler Hynes and Hunter King, in November.

Now, we know that the NFL mom will also be adding "Christmas on Call," a holiday movie centering around first responders in Philadelphia that stars Ser'Darius Blain and Sara Canning, to her list of acting credits. The news delighted some viewers, with one fan responding on the network's Facebook post, "Love Mama Kelce, she is the Best! So happy for her." Others, however, were less than overjoyed at the Taylor Swift-related news.

Not all Hallmark fans were psyched to hear about Donna Kelce's upcoming Hallmark appearances, with some avid viewers expressing frustration at how Taylor Swift (and now the Kelces) seemingly touch every corner of pop culture. "I hated the Chiefs and was exhausted by the Kelce brothers before Taylor," one viewer wrote on Facebook. "Now this too?!" Another commenter simply said, "It seems [that] Swift has taken over everything."

The sentiment isn't a surprising one, as the internet has been suffering from what's been called "Taylor Swift fatigue" over the course of the last year. The feeling can be traced back to the music star's ongoing Eras Tour, which launched in March 2023 and became the highest grossing tour of all time by the end of the year. Alongside the tour's immense popularity, Swift began publicly dating football star Travis Kelce in September 2023, expanding her reach to the NFL. The kicker for many was the release of her 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," which was revealed to be a double album consisting of 31-songs after its initial release in April 2024.

With Swift's major pop culture presence continually growing, it's not surprising that some Hallmark fans feel overwhelmed by the news of her reach extending to the channel, even if it's only in the form of her boyfriend's mother. Either way, Donna has already stated that she doesn't plan to make Hallmark her home base. "I don't think this is a career move for me," she said at the New York City premiere of "Grotesquerie." "I think it's just something that was fun and a one-time shot."