KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — On Thursday evening, pop icon Taylor Swift made her return to Arrowhead Stadium to support her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, as he and the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs kicked off the NFL season against the Baltimore Ravens.
Swift was spotted about 90 minutes before the highly anticipated game, dressed in a trendy denim crop top paired with shorts and striking red knee-high heeled boots. As she mingled with a crowd of nearly 80,000 fans eagerly waiting for the kickoff, thunderstorms loomed in the area.
Last season, Swift became one of the Chiefs’ most enthusiastic supporters after starting her high-profile relationship with Kelce, who is also a notable figure in pop culture. Their romance initiated when Kelce, having missed the chance to give her a friendship bracelet at one of her concerts, took to social media to invite Swift to a football game. She gladly accepted and was seen at a September match against the Bears.
The couple maintained their connection throughout the NFL season, with Swift making time to visit Kelce whenever her busy Eras Tour schedule allowed. In a notable moment, she made a whirlwind trip from a concert in Japan to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, where she celebrated the game’s festivities with friends, including Blake Lively, enjoyed a performance by Post Malone, won a beer chugging contest, and ended the night by kissing Kelce on the field after the Chiefs’ victory.
Throughout this time, Swift also developed a close friendship with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany.
During the offseason, Kelce would often visit Swift’s Eras Tour, even making a memorable cameo during one of her performances, donning a tuxedo. Swift later expressed her delight on social media about Kelce’s surprise appearance at Wembley Stadium, stating she was still “cracking up/swooning over” his performance in front of 90,000 enthusiastic fans.
The offseason has kept both stars busy. Swift recently wrapped up the European leg of her Eras Tour, performing five consecutive shows at Wembley, with plans to kick off the North American leg in October, which will run through December across various cities in the U.S. and Canada.
Meanwhile, Kelce and his brother, retired Eagles center Jason Kelce, have signed a lucrative multi-million dollar deal to bring their podcast “New Heights” to Amazon’s Wondery service. Kelce is also set to appear in Ryan Murphy’s upcoming murder mystery titled “Grotesquerie,” premiering on FX on September 25, and will host “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?” on Prime Video, premiering October 16.
The Chiefs are on a historic quest as they aim for a third consecutive Super Bowl win—a feat which has never been accomplished in the NFL.
When asked recently how he manages to balance everything, Kelce mentioned the Chiefs’ practice facility and Arrowhead Stadium—just a short walk away—as his sanctuary where he is surrounded by his closest friends.
“I just love football and how it provides an escape from life,” he said. “It genuinely makes me happy. I find joy in coming in, working on my game, grasping new strategies, and perfecting them for my teammates. It gives my life purpose and direction.”
However, not all was calm and smooth sailing for Swift and Kelce during the offseason.
Last month, Swift had to cancel three sold-out concerts in Vienna after intelligence uncovered a plot targeting her concert, which could have resulted in massive casualties. The CIA reported that a group had plans to execute a significant attack, leading to multiple arrests.
Additionally, a spokesperson for Kelce publicly dismissed a fabricated document circulating online that questioned the legitimacy of their romance. The document, titled “Comprehensive Media Plan For Travis Kelce’s Relations Following Breakup with Taylor Swift,” had been posted on Reddit but was quickly taken down.
This occurred around the same time that Kelce made an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show,” where he spoke about their relationship, saying, “She’s been very eager to understand the game.” He praised Swift, noting her attention to detail in her work and expressed that her meticulous nature extends to learning football.
Kelce even shared that Swift has started to sketch out plays for him, although he joked, “She’s a bit biased and designs plays just for me. We’ll see if they ever make it to Coach Andy Reid’s office.”
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