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There are “power couples,” and then there’s Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce — the bombshell pairing that caused Swifties and conservatives alike to lose their marbles.
Rumors about a potential romance between the best-selling pop star and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end began brewing in July of last year, when Kelce was spotted at Swift’s Eras Tour stop at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. Suspicions quickly grew in September after Swift was seen cheering on Kelce alongside his mother, Donna, at the Chiefs’ game against the Chicago Bears. Since then, paparazzi photos of the couple holding hands and smooching have gone viral across social media. Swift also made more appearances at Kelce’s games — including the Super Bowl — and Kelce even attended Swift’s Buenos Aires concert, where she sent fans into a frenzy after confirming her relationship.
Swift, who was named TIME’s 2023 Person of the Year, told the outlet in December that her relationship with Kelce took off shortly after he put her on blast on his podcast: “By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple,” she revealed. “I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.”
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Many critics have claimed that “Traylor," Swift and Kelce’s couple name, is in actuality a PR relationship, a public link-up that mutually benefits both individuals. Some conservatives continue to peddle a conspiracy theory that Swift and Kelce's relationship is some kind of ploy meant to benefit Democrats in the 2024 elections. Stans, however, believe the romance is a fairy tale come to life, especially for Swift, whose dating history has long been subjected to public scrutiny.
In the wake of the Swift-Kelce craze, “TMZ Investigates” — the FOX-backed docuseries that takes a closer look into stories of celebrities, crime and pop culture — released “TMZ Investigates: Taylor & Travis: Ultimate Love Story.” The series finale looks into why Swift and Kelce may indeed be end game, although it's less a deep dive and more just a regurgitation of old facts. Helmed by TMZ honcho Harvey Levin, the showcase also features interviews with Mark Cuban, Dr. Phil, Skip Bayless, Heather McDonald and more.
Here are the 6 biggest moments from the episode:
According to Patti Stanger, host of the Bravo reality series “The Millionaire Matchmaker,” and stand-up comedian Heather McDonald, Swift and Kelce are for sure going to get married.
“If he doesn’t mess it up, she won’t mess it up,” Stanger said. McDonald echoed similar sentiments, saying, “I think they’re going to get married, and I think they’re going to have kids.”
“It seems like someone would be hard-pressed to find a better, at least surface-level, match for Taylor Swift,” said Brittany Hodak, author of “Creating Superfans: How To Turn Your Customers Into Lifelong Advocates.”
The predictions certainly aren’t comforting for conservative critics, who in anticipation of this year’s Super Bowl, fueled baseless conspiracy theories that Swift and Kelce are key players in a secret plot to help President Joe Biden get reelected in 2024. A separate theory also claimed that Swift had played a part in Pentagon psychological operations.
Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, political activist Laura Loomer and One America News Network host Alison Steinberg are just a few notable figures who have spurred such allegations.
Kelce’s ex-girlfriend Maya Benberry, who he met on his “Bachelor”-inspired dating show called “Catching Kelce,” accused Kelce of being a cheater after news of his relationship with Swift broke out.
“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 told DailyMail UK. “I’m sure by now she has mastered the ability to see who is really there for her — and who is just using her.”
“Only time will tell but like the saying always goes, once a cheater, always a cheater.”
Benberry continued, “I don’t know Taylor Swift, but I’m a fan of her music. I don’t feel any way about her dating Travis. It’s cute. … She’s beautiful. She’s successful. We’re in two different lanes.” She also said, “I had him first.”
Sources close to TMZ later revealed that Benberry’s accusations were baseless and she was merely “trying to get her 15 minutes” under the spotlight.
Dr. Phil, Mark Cuban, Skip Bayless, Patti Stanger and Heather McDonald all attributed Swift-Kelce’s success to the fact that the pair are successful in vastly different fields: Swift in music and Kelce in sports.
TMZ noted that Swift’s prior relationships were unsuccessful because she exclusively dated other big personalities in the entertainment industry, including Joe Jonas, John Mayer, Jake Gyllenhaal, Joe Alwyn and Harry Styles.
“It's impossible to match Taylor's success, and that inevitably gives way to conflict, jealousy, competitiveness, and on and on,” TMZ reporters explained.
Bayless said Swift and Kelce are different because they can relate to each other on a celebrity level. Unlike Swift’s exes, Kelce isn’t competing with her or comparing his success with hers.
Dr. Phil added that the pair are each other's cheerleaders.
Heather McDonald said Swift is letting Kelce “be the alpha,” which she added is the “smart” thing to do in their relationship: "You know, you always hear about women being criticized for emasculating the man. But no one gives us credit when we purposely masculate our man. And oftentimes, women consciously do that."
Dr. Phil, however, offered a different perspective, claiming both Swift and Kelce are alphas and pointed to their individual successes. Author Brittany Hodak also praised Kelce’s supportive nature, saying he's incredibly secure in both his professional and personal life.
The first is their busy schedules: “The biggest risk factor I see is that if they both have schedules that are so full that they fight to spend quality time together,” said Dr. Phil.
The second is their long-distance romance, which may be challenging as time goes by. Swift is busy with her music, a new album (called “The Tortured Poets Department”) and upcoming international tours, while Kelce is busy with his own career on the football field.
The final speed bump is the couple’s lack of privacy, which is a consequence of most Hollywood relationships: “Taylor's been in the spotlight since forever, so she's kinda used to it,” TMZ claimed. “But Travis Kelce? He's already experienced the shocking lack of privacy since he began dating her.”
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Joy Saha is a staff writer at Salon, covering Culture and Food. She holds a BA in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.
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