Jason Kelce went from stirring the pot about Travis Kelce’s love life to forming a close bond with his brother’s superstar girlfriend, Taylor Swift.
The couple’s unlikely love story began on an episode of the Kelces’ “New Heights” podcast in July 2023 when Travis revealed that he tried to give Swift his phone number on a friendship bracelet at an Eras Tour concert in Kansas City. (If you’re like Us, you’ve lost count of how many times the word “butthurt” has been used since that now-infamous SeatGeek ad aired.)
Jason wasted no time jumping into the public conversation, teasing during a September 2023 radio interview that the speculation about Travis dating Swift was “100 percent true.” When Swift made her first appearance at a Kansas City Chiefs game later that month to cheer on Travis and his team — sitting next to his mom, Donna Kelce, in a VIP suite — Jason shared more thoughts on the same radio show.
“It was fun watching the whole world take it in, to be honest with you,” he said of the fan frenzy, adding that he was “happy” the secret was finally out “so I can hopefully stop being asked questions about it.”
Kathryn Riley/Getty Images; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images Taylor Swift has found another fan in boyfriend Travis Kelce’s older brother, Jason Kelce. “I’ve been fortunate to meet Taylor now, she’s awesome, down-to-earth, genuine person,” Jason, 36, told NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe at the 2024 Pro Bowl on Sunday, February 4. Jason noted that Swift’s personality is refreshing […]
The questions persisted, however, and Jason began to spend more time with Swift as her romance with Travis heated up. By November 2024, the retired NFL player was proudly introducing himself to fans as “Taylor Swift’s boyfriends’ brother.” That same month, Swift subtly congratulated Jason and his wife, Kylie Kelce, via social media following news that the couple are expecting their fourth baby girl.
Scroll down for a closer look at Jason’s bond with Swift:
Candid Quotes
Jason wasn’t afraid to have a little fun with Travis and Swift in the early days of their romance, once cosigning a fan’s rant about the “corny” couple in September 2023 by dropping a “Go Birds” via X. (Before joining Chiefs Kingdom, Swift acknowledged that a lyric from her song “Gold Rush” was a nod to the Philadelphia Eagles, Jason’s team of 13 years.)
In October 2023, Jason joked about Swift’s star power, sharing an Instagram pic of Donna sitting with Jake from State Farm (Kevin Miles) at an Eagles game. “I also have a superstar in my corner,” he teased in the caption.
On a more serious note, Jason has often gushed over seeing his brother so happy with Swift. “We just want to be supportive of him and their relationship and everything that they’ve got going on, because it’s so wonderful right now,” he said at an event in June 2024. “He’s my brother, he’s always going to be my brother.”
Sitting in the Suite
Jason and Kylie joined Swift at a Chiefs game for the first time in January 2024 when Travis’ team played the Buffalo Bills in New York. Jason’s behavior at the game quickly went viral — none of Us will forget him leaping out of the suite shirtless — and certainly made a memorable first impression on Swift.
“Tay said she absolutely loved you,” Travis told his brother during an episode of “New Heights” after the game, joking, “[Your] best first impression is the worst impression ever.”
When the dynamic duo caught up at another Chiefs game during the 2024-2025 season, Jason kept his shirt on. Footage shared via social media in November 2024 showed him hugging Swift in a private suite at Arrowhead Stadium when Travis played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Super Bowl Memories
The Kelce family and Swift had the VIP treatment at the 2024 Super Bowl as they watched the Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers. Swift’s posse of A-list pals tagged along, from Blake Lively to Ice Spice.
“There was so much happening in the suite,” Jason said on “New Heights” in February 2024. “Turns out everybody wants to meet Taylor. [Shaquille O’Neal] came into the suite … I think it was my first really understanding of some of the things she has to deal with. … It was very overwhelming.”
Wearing a wrestling mask and Chiefs overalls, Jason partied with Travis and Swift in Las Vegas to celebrate the big win. “Shout-out to [one of] the newest members of the Chiefs Kingdom, Taylor Swift, who has officially reached the Super Bowl in her rookie year,” Jason teased on the podcast.
Travis Kelce’s heart grows three sizes every time Taylor Swift bonds with the people he loves. “Everybody knows how close Travis is with his family,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “So it really means everything to him how seamlessly Taylor blends in with all of them.” Despite her fame, the pop star, 34, “really […]
At the ‘Eras Tour’
Like his brother, Jason attended several Eras Tour concerts throughout Swift’s record-breaking run. He experienced the three-hour show for the first time in London in June 2024, later gushing over Swift’s “insanely impressive” performance on his and Travis’ podcast.
“Dude, if I did what she did for one song, I would have to change my clothes,” he joked at the time, adding that Swift’s dedicated fans make attending the concert even more “memorable.” (Pics surfaced online of Jason trading friendship bracelets in the crowd, a tradition Swifties have come to know and love.)
Four months later, Jason and Kylie brought two of their daughters, Wyatt and Ellie, to an Eras concert in Miami. Jason was caught sitting down for a moment during the show, but he denied falling asleep. He subsequently opened up about why he never gave friends tickets to Swift’s tour.
“She’s been nothing but lovely to our family, she’s a wonderful person and I don’t want that to kind of be a dynamic,” Kelce explained on The Rich Eisen Show in November 2024. “It is an immediate no. As much as Taylor has said she will take care of anybody that I ask for. … I’m not gonna be the one to impose on that. I don’t want to put that position out there.”
Shout-Outs to the Swifties
When Swift took an interest in football, so did many of her fans — and the Kelces never shied away from discussing their new demographic. Swifties have earned multiple shout-outs on “New Heights,” with Jason thanking the fans for getting one of his Christmas songs to the top of the charts in November 2023.
During a September 2024 radio interview, Jason praised Swift for connecting so closely with her fans throughout her career. “I think that she’s built up such a fan base and a contingency and an amount of people that really, really just love her,” he said, comparing Swift to music legends like Bruce Springsteen.
Ready for the Holidays
“It’s tough to shop for people that can have anything that they want,” Jason joked during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in November 2024 when asked about spending the holidays with Travis and his girlfriend. Referencing Swift’s friendship bracelet trend once again, Jason teased that he might make “friendship macaroni necklaces” as Christmas presents.
