Pop superstar Taylor Swift and National Football League (NFL) player Travis Kelce are engaged to be married, the couple announced on social media on Tuesday.
In a joint Instagram post, the pair wrote: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” along with photos showing the Kansas City Chiefs player proposing to Swift.
The engagement was welcomed on social media, with more than 17 million likes on the Instagram post by Tuesday afternoon. The NFL offered congratulations.
No wedding date was announced.
Swift has won 14 Grammys, including an unparalleled four Album of the Year trophies. Kelce is a tight end who has helped the Chiefs win three Super Bowls and made his career catching passes from star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Swift and Kelce are 35.
The two started dating in 2023 after the singer performed at Arrowhead Stadium – home of the Chiefs. Kelce explained on the New Heights podcast at the time that he was disappointed he did not have a chance to meet her and give her his phone number at the show.
Swift was charmed by the public declaration of interest. The gesture made her feel like she was “in an ‘80s John Hughes movie, and he was just like, standing outside of my window with a boombox and being like, ‘I want to date you,’” she said on a recent New Heights episode.
Love takes centre stage.
Swift told Time magazine the pair began “hanging out” after she heard his comments. Their relationship became public when she appeared at a Chiefs game to cheer on Kelce in September 2023.
The singer appeared at several Chiefs games, including two Super Bowls, and sparked some criticism from NFL fans that TV networks showed her on camera too often and drew attention away from the game.
Kelce attended many stops on Swift’s record-setting Eras Tour, which grossed more than US$2 billion before concluding in December 2024. At a show in London, Kelce surprised the crowd by taking the stage briefly in a tuxedo and top hat and carrying Swift to a couch during I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.
Engagement sparks joy
Travis Kelce’s father, Ed Kelce, told television station News 5 Cleveland that his son proposed almost two weeks ago. Asked when the news would be made public, Travis Kelce, according to his father, said “whenever Taylor says so.”
The proposal took place in a garden in Lee Summit, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City, Ed Kelce said.
Congratulations flowed from fans, sports teams and friends of the couple.
“Today is a fairytale,” said the Chiefs’ account on X, next to heart and ring emojis. “Congrats to Travis and Taylor – we’re excited to have you as a permanent member of the Chiefs Kingdom family!”
Companies also acknowledged the milestone. Google added an on-screen shower of confetti when people searched for Swift by name. Buffalo Wild Wings, which has used Jason Kelce as a paid spokesperson, offered to cater the wedding.
US President Donald Trump, who wrote “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT” on social media in September 2024, told reporters, “I wish them a lot of luck” when asked about the engagement.
“I think he’s a great player, I think he’s a great guy, and I think that she’s a terrific person,” Trump said on Tuesday.
