NFL star Travis Kelce has opened up about how his relationship began with Taylor Swift, saying “I had somebody playing Cupid”.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Wall Street Journal magazine, the Kansas City Chiefs player discussed their first time meeting and the media speculation which surrounds the 33-year-old pop superstar.
Earlier this year, Kelce revealed on his podcast with his brother Jason that he had failed to meet Swift when he attended her Eras Tour concert at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri in July.
In an exclusive interview, Travis Kelce reveals who helped set him up with Taylor Swift, his thoughts on retirement and why he had to duck his landlord during his rookie year https://t.co/4W2s95QloZ https://t.co/4W2s95QloZ
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) November 20, 2023
Recounting the aftermath, he told the magazine: “There were definitely people she knew that knew who I was, in her corner (who said): Yo! Did you know he was coming?’ I had somebody playing Cupid.”
The 34-year-old added: “She told me exactly what was going on and how I got lucky enough to get her to reach out.”
The tight end also revealed members of Swift’s family may have pointed the singer towards his direction, saying: “She’ll probably hate me for saying this, but … when she came to Arrowhead, they gave her the big locker room as a dressing room, and her little cousins were taking pictures … in front of my locker.”
Kelce said by the time they met in New York they had already been talking so he knew they could have a “nice dinner” and felt “what goes from there will go from there”.
In the last few months, the Anti-Hero singer has been spotted in the stands supporting the Chiefs on a number of occasions, sparking media speculation around their relationship.
They also both made a surprise appearance during Saturday Night Live’s season premiere last month with Kelce featuring at the end of a skit which poked fun at their romance.
Reflecting on the attention, he said: “I’ve never dealt with it… But at the same time, I’m not running away from any of it….
“The scrutiny she gets, how much she has a magnifying glass on her, every single day, paparazzi outside her house, outside every restaurant she goes to, after every flight she gets off, and she’s just living, enjoying life.
“When she acts like that, I better not be the one acting all strange.”
In the interview, the NFL player praised Swift as “hilarious” and “a genius”, and noted that they share similar values.
He said: “Everybody knows I’m a family guy … Her team is her family.
“Her family does a lot of stuff in terms of the tour, the marketing, being around, so I think she has a lot of those values as well, which is right up my alley.”