Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s love was on full display during her August 13 appearance on his “New Heights” podcast. In between the story of how she got her masters back in May, backstage secrets of her Eras Tour and the announcement of her new album, The Life of a Showgirl, Swift and Kelce — seated close together and often affectionate during the two-hour pre-recorded show — revealed intimate insights into their two-year relationship. Swift recalled how Kelce’s “wild, romantic gesture” of shouting her out on the podcast in July 2023 made her feel like she was in “an ’80s John Hughes movie,” while Kelce gushed about Swift’s brains and talents and repeatedly referred to himself as “the luckiest man in the world.” The podcast episode garnered a record-breaking 10 million views in 16 hours.
It’s been an eventful summer for the pair. Just three weeks prior to her appearance on “New Heights,” Swifties were thrown into a frenzy after Kelce finally shared photos of his superstar girlfriend on Instagram. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end posted a carousel of intimate pics featuring him and Swift in a variety of settings (wearing matching black at an upscale restaurant, posing with pal Erin Andrews in the snow, sipping wine in the mountains, skating on an ice rink) alongside a caption that read: “Had some adventures this offseason, kept it 100.” They’ve been spotted holding hands on romantic dinner dates in NYC, taking in an NHL championship game in Florida and attending a wedding in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The past few months have been the longest stretch of uninterrupted time that Swift and Kelce, both 35, have had together since they began dating. Swift spent much of the last two years on the road for her 149-date Eras Tour (which wrapped in December) while Kelce played in two Super Bowls with his team and worked on numerous film and TV projects, including the Prime Video game show Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? and Happy Gilmore 2.
According to sources, much-needed quality time has proven to both Swift and Kelce that they have what it takes to go all the way — and clearly the confidence to publicly fawn over one another like never before. “Taylor and Travis have settled into a real rhythm as a couple, and the more time they spend together, the more they realize how aligned they are,” says a source. (“Whenever I’m with her, it feels like we’re just regular people,” Kelce told GQ in his September cover story. “When there is not a camera on us, we’re just two people that are in love.”) Adds a second source: “During this downtime, they really noticed all the little things they have in common. They feel like they’ve found their person.”
On the Same Page
The pair had gone into virtual hiding following Kelce’s shocking Super Bowl loss in early February. In March, a source told Us they had made a “very deliberate” decision to take a step back from the public eye. They hunkered down at Swift’s $50 million Manhattan penthouse and later Kelce’s $20 million rental in Boca Raton, Florida, where the tight end had been training for his upcoming season with the Chiefs. “The break came at the right [moment],” says the second source. “Taylor needed to spend more time with Travis [so they could really] get to know each other.”
Even they were a little surprised by how well they gel. “They found a lot of common ground they were not expecting, and it made their relationship stronger,” says the second source, noting that the 14-time Grammy winner and the future Hall of Famer “have found their counterpart in terms of ambition, work ethic and values.” Kelce told GQ: “We are two fun-loving people who have the morals to appreciate everyone for who they are. We share all those values.”
Their lifestyles are in sync. “Athletes have a different mindset; they are more disciplined, and it’s very similar to Taylor’s mindset,” the second source says. “She will never tell anyone that she is an athlete,” Kelce told GQ, “but I’ve seen what she goes through. I’ve seen the amount of work that she puts on her body, and it’s mind-blowing.” The source adds: “There are a lot of parallels, and they have really connected on that level with eating and working out.”
Travis Kelce didn’t accompany girlfriend Taylor Swift to the MTV VMAs on September 11, but she made sure his presence was felt when she took home a Moon Man — her seventh of the night — for Video of the Year for her song “Fortnight.” After thanking her collaborators, including Post Malone, Swift turned the […]
Despite their celebrity status, Swift and Kelce are both down-to-earth and known for being approachable to fans. “They are very empathetic people. Meeting someone like that is a dream come true for them,” the second source says. Kelce likened Swift to his mom, Donna, in GQ, praising their kindness and ability to “say hello to everyone in the room” and “show love and support no matter what.”
Swift has met her match when it comes to romance. “She leaves Travis love notes and buys sentimental gifts, and he does the same thing,” the second source shares, adding that the “Karma” singer “never experienced that in a partner before Travis.” Things with Kelce are lighter and more fun compared to Swift’s previous relationships. “Travis has the best personality,” says the first source. “Taylor thinks he’s hilarious and is never bored with him.”
When they’re not enjoying dates across the U.S. (the pair were spotted having dinner at Harry’s in West Palm Beach in May, hitting up members’ club San Vicente West Village in downtown Manhattan in June and visiting JoJo’s Bar near Kelce’s Ohio hometown in July) they’re doing ordinary couple things like watching movies and cooking. Notes the second source, “Taylor has been loving the quiet, normal days with Travis.”
Back to Business
Soon, Kelce will be back on the field for his 13th, and potentially final, NFL season. “I just have such a motivation to show up this year for my guys,” Kelce told GQ. (“This may be his last [season],” an insider told Us in June, “so he’s giving it his all.”) Swift is “incredibly supportive,” says the first source, noting that she’s become “obsessed” with football. “She is the most engulfed fan now. She knows what the injury reports look like,” Kelce told GQ, adding that Swift even adopted his signature first down finger pointing gesture on stage. “I became a person who was running through the halls of my house screaming, ‘We drafted Xavier Worthy,’” Swift admitted on “New Heights”, referring to the Chiefs’ first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. “My friends were like, ‘What? Who body snatched you?’”
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 […]
The source adds that the singer “loves” going to games, where she hangs out with Kelce’s family and the other WAGs. She’s become especially close with QB and Kelce bestie Patrick Mahomes’ wife, Brittany, and Chariah Gordon, who’s engaged to former Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr., revealed that Swift knitted their baby daughter a blanket.
Football will coincide with press for The Life of a Showgirl, which Swift recorded during the European leg of her tour with producers Max Martin and Shellback. “We knew that we had to bring the best ideas we’ve ever had, and I also know the pressure I’m putting on this record by saying that, but I don’t care because I love it that much,” Swift gushed on “New Heights.” Of course, Kelce is already a fan, promising listeners that every track on the new album is a “banger” and is going to make people dance. “She’s constantly creating,” says the first source of the singer. “It’s in her nature.”
Totally Committed
If there were any doubts about their long-term potential as a couple, this summer (and the Instagram post, and the podcast…) put them to rest. “This time together solidified Taylor knowing that she wants to be with Travis forever,” says the second source. The first source adds that Swift and Kelce are “on the same page” when it comes to settling down. “They want to be married and have kids in the future,” notes the source. “They’re both genuinely ready for that chapter.”
For more on Swift and Kelce, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
