Well, get ready to update those fan theories, because Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce just made it official! After nearly two years of a romance that captivated everyone, the pop superstar and the NFL champion are engaged. It’s the kind of love story that feels straight out of a movie script, except it’s all real.
Swift, who’s 35, broke the news herself. She posted on Instagram this past Tuesday, August 26, sharing some truly sweet photos. Her fiancé, Kelce, is also 35. She captioned the post with a playful message that quickly went viral: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.” It perfectly summed up their down-to-earth vibe.
The proposal looked absolutely magical. Pictures show Kelce on one knee in a stunning flower-filled garden. The couple looked happier than ever in a series of images shared with the announcement. One photo caught them gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes. In another, Swift held Kelce’s neck, a tender moment captured for all to see. The engagement ring, a beautiful antique brilliant-cut design by Kindred Lubeck from Artifex Fine Jewelry, took center stage in a close-up shot. The final picture showed Swift comfortably sitting with her legs draped over Kelce’s lap.
How Their Story Began
Their journey to forever kicked off in the summer of 2023. Back in July, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end made headlines when he tried to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it during her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City, Missouri. It was a bold move, but he didn’t actually get to meet her at the show. He later spilled the beans about his missed connection on his “New Heights” podcast. Luckily for him, Swift heard the story and reached out shortly after.
The romance rumors hit a fever pitch, and by September 2023, they made things public. Swift showed up to cheer for Kelce at one of his home games with the Chiefs. She quickly became a familiar face in the stands, becoming his biggest cheerleader throughout the season. Kelce returned the favor, jet-setting across the globe to watch her perform. His first international trip to see her was in November 2023, when he visited her in Argentina.
Kelce gave some insight into their early days that same month. He told WSJ. Magazine in November 2023 that some friends played matchmaker for them. “There had to be people in her circle who knew me and were like, ‘Hey! Did you know he was coming?’” he shared. “I had someone playing Cupid for sure.” He added that Swift explained how everything unfolded and how lucky he was that she got in touch.
Navigating the Spotlight
Life in the spotlight with one of the world’s biggest stars was new territory for Kelce, and he spoke candidly about it. “Obviously, I’ve never dated anyone with that kind of aura,” he admitted. “I’ve never dealt with that.” But he made it clear he wasn’t going to shy away. “The scrutiny she gets, the constant magnifying glass on her every day, the paparazzi outside her house, outside every restaurant she goes to, after every flight she takes, and she just lives, enjoys life,” he observed. “When she acts that way, I better not be the one acting strange.”
Swift herself broke her silence on their relationship in December 2023, telling TIME magazine a fun detail. She revealed that their romance “began when Travis, very charmingly, talked about me on his podcast, which I found super metal.” She said they started dating right after that podcast went live.
“We actually had a good amount of time when no one knew anything, and I’m thankful for that, because we got to know each other,” she explained. She set the record straight about their public debut, too. “When I went to that first game, we were already a couple,” she clarified. “Do I think some people think they saw our first date at that game? We would never be that psychotic to debut a first date like that.”
Unlike some of her past relationships, which Swift kept more private, she chose a different path with Kelce. She explained her approach to a public relationship: “When you say a relationship is public, it means I’m going to see him do what he loves, we support each other, there are other people present and we don’t care,” she said. “The opposite is having to work hard to make sure no one knows you’re dating someone. And we’re just proud of each other.”
A Future Together
As their love story bloomed, a source shared with Us Weekly in December 2023 that the couple had been having “a lot of deep conversations about their future together.” They were trying to spend “as much time as possible together” despite their incredibly busy schedules. More recently, in April, another source close to the pair revealed that it has been “very refreshing for Taylor not to feel the need to hide with Travis.” The source added that he “makes her feel safe and protected, like she has the freedom to be and act however she wants.”
Before finding each other, Swift had a six-year relationship with actor Joe Alwyn. Kelce, for his part, had previously dated Kayla Nicole.