How Did Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Meet? All the People Who May Have Played ‘Cupid’ in Their Romance

Travis Kelce revealed that he had 'somebody playing Cupid' on his behalf when speaking about his relationship with Taylor Swift

Details continue to be revealed about the early beginnings of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship.

The pop super star and NFL champ's relationship has been on display since making their romance public in October 2023.

And the two had an incredible week at the top of their games in February 2024, with Swift breaking the record for most album of the year Grammys shortly before jetting to her Eras Tour dates in Tokyo — then turning right around to watch Kelce win the Super Bowl (and congratulate him with a kiss on the field) one week later.

The pair have surely proved that their commitment to supporting each other amid their respectively busy work schedules. But who linked Swift and Kelce in the first place?

In a candid interview for ​​the cover of WSJ Magazine’s December/January issue, the NFL superstar shared how his romance with the singer came to be after he attended her Eras Tour in July.

During a previous episode of his New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce podcast, Kelce revealed that he had planned to give Swift his digits via friendship bracelet when she performed at Arrowhead Stadium, but didn't get the opportunity to do so.

Thankfully for Kelce, there was an “invisible string” leading him to Swift: he told WSJ. Magazine he “had somebody playing Cupid” on his behalf.

Swift, too, gave further insight into the early days of their courtship when she was named Time's 2023 Person of the Year — and Kelce recently clarified their dating timeline a bit further.

Here’s everything we know about how the couple got together.

Related: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Relationship Timeline

When did Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce meet?

Swift and Kelce’s relationship timeline first started in July 2023, when the NFL football star was spotted attending her Eras Tour at Arrowhead Stadium where he plays football for the Kansas City Chiefs. The football star was seen watching the show from his private box as well as trading friendship bracelets with fans inside the venue.

Though Kelce had plans to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it, the two didn’t actually connect after the show. "I was disappointed that she doesn't talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs she sings, so I was a little butthurt that I didn't get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her," Kelce explained on his podcast.

Even though that didn't work out, Kelce explained in November 2023 that, following his failed attempt to get her his number, he got some help from people close to Swift to get her attention. “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," Kelce told WSJ. Magazine, adding that he eventually found that out from Swift when she contacted him directly.

Kelce added that a few members of the Swift family even assisted in helping him get her attention. “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," he said.

Who introduced Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce?

So who exactly was the “Cupid” in Swift and Kelce’s romance? There are several people who could have connected the singer and football star as they have a few mutual friends.

For starters, both Kelce and Swift are chummy with actor Miles Teller. In 2022, Kelce joined Teller and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes for golfing practice ahead of the American Century Championship. Meanwhile, Teller previously costarred in Swift’s “I Bet You Think About Me” music video alongside his wife Keleigh Sperry. The couple also attended Swift’s Eras Tour in New Jersey alongside football star Aaron Rodgers in May 2023.

Additionally, one of Swift’s Eras Tour backup dancers has a fun Kansas City Chiefs connection. Kameron Saunders, who has gained a following online for his fun “Bejeweled” dance during the concert, is the brother of football player Khalen Saunders, who played on the Kanas City Chiefs with Kelce from 2019 to 2022.

Another person who could have played matchmaker for Swift and Kelce is NFL broadcaster Erin Andrews. In fact, Andrews previously asked Swift to “please try our friend Travis” during an episode of her podcast in August. “He is fantastic,” Andrews said at the time, adding, “Taylor, I know we’re not the best of friends, we’re not even friends, but I consider you one. Take us up on this. Go on a date with this guy. Do it for America.”

After Swift and Kelce actually got together, Andrews reflected on the podcast moment during Late Night with Seth Meyers, joking that she played a vital role in their romance. “Travis was very open about not getting to meet her. And so we were just being really candid because we love him. We’re good friends of his and we just were like, ‘Taylor, date this guy. I mean, he’s good looking,’“ Andrews told the host. "He’s just such a great, great guy. And so we threw it out there and they got together. Of course, we’re getting all the credit now,” she added.

Kelce even thanked them in an October tweet for any role they may have played in making the match. In response to the clip on Instagram, he wrote, “😂😂 You two are something else!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻 I owe you big time!!”

Additionally, some fans speculated about a possible link through Kansas City Chiefs superfan Jason Sudeikis, who was spotted playing Uno with the singer at one of Questlove's game nights in August, shortly before the Swift/Kelce romance rumors took off. Though Sudeikis has a good relationship with the team (who donated auction items to his Thundergong! charity event recently), he did not confirm or deny the rumors, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “I was thankful to Taylor, just hanging out, coming to do two nights of shows [in Kansas City] ... Little did I know, just a few months later, she’d be our adopted daughter. I don’t blame her for wanting to hang out here more, I don’t blame her for wanting to hang out with Travis. He’s a good egg.”

While it's not likely Swift's BFF Selena Gomez had a hand in their romance, fans have unearthed footage of the Rare Beauty founder attending the same Big Slick 2019 Softball Game as Kelce. In the clip, Gomez and Kelce stand just feet apart as they greet the camera. "Is that Travis Kelce?! The invisible strings are invisible stringing!!" wrote one commenter.

Meanwhile, Mahomes claimed he was the "matchmaker" during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show in May 2024. "I like to take some of the credit," the Chiefs quarterback began.

"I was the one who invited Travis to the first Taylor concert when the friendship bracelet [idea came up]. He was sitting in my suite, so I feel like I was the matchmaker," he explained. "I had some input in there as well."

"I was like, 'Dude, you should go for it. Just go for it,'" Mahomes recalled. "And you know Travis, man. He does it. He's a great dude," continued Mahomes. "I'm glad that it's all worked out for the best."

Related: Patrick Mahomes Explains How He Played Matchmaker for Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift: ‘I Had Some Input’

When did Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce go on their first date?

Thanks to their “Cupid,” Swift did end up reaching out to Kelce and things took off from there. “She told me exactly what was going on and how I got lucky enough to get her to reach out," Kelce recalled to WSJ. Magazine about their first exchange.

After talking back and forth, the two met in person in New York. “I knew we could have a nice dinner and, like, a conversation, and what goes from there will go from there," Kelce said of their first date.

The two later sparked romance rumors when Swift publicly cheered on Kelce at his Kanas City Chiefs football game at Arrowhead Stadium in September 2023. However, in her candid interview with Time, Swift revealed they were already a couple by that point.

She noted that they started hanging out right after "Travis very adorably put [her] on blast on his podcast," which she joked was "metal as hell."

“So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I’m grateful for, because we got to get to know each other," Swift continued. "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," Swift added.

In February 2024, Kelce clarified even further that the two had been seeing each other for about a month before she attended her first game, and called their time together "a crazy, crazy ride."

After attending a few more games with her celebrity friends, Swift and Kelce went public with their relationship the following month when they were photographed holding hands in New York City following their Saturday Night Live appearance.

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