At this point, I think most of humanity (or, at least, the cross-section of humanity possessed of WiFi and access to Page Six) knows that Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce are…if not actually dating, then at least auditioning for the role of “real-life adult quarterback and homecoming queen.” Swift recently attended one of Kelce’s games—sitting next to his mom, as one does—and the two literally rode away in a convertible afterward, like something out of an aughts rom-com brought to life.
I’m not much of a sports buff, but I care as deeply about Swift’s dating life as the next aging lesbian who listened to Nevermore on repeat (what’s up, my Gaylors!), and I, for one, am simply delighted to see her looking so animated while cheering Kelce on. I mean, really, without focusing on anyone’s Ls, let’s just take a little jaunt down Swift’s memory lane of exes: Joe Alwyn? Kind of boring, sorry! Matty Healy? I’m not even going to say anything about that one, because Ice Spice said it all. No more pale, skinny, vaguely anemic-looking British guys for Taylor, I beg! While I would obviously rather she were dating Karlie Kloss, I have to admit that having a big, hunky, sports-playing (potential) boyfriend seems to be agreeing with her.
But of course, it’s not all about the guy. I was also thrilled to see that Sophie Turner, the party mom of my heart, accompanied Swift on her latest trip to one of Kelce’s games. (Blake Lively was there too, because of course she was.) Boyfriends may come and go, but besties are famously forever, and after the lapse in Swift’s annual girl-squad-centric Fourth of July parties over the last few years, it’s genuinely nice to see her looking like she’s having so much fun with her gal pals. (Not to mention the fact that Swift reportedly lent Turner and her kids her New York apartment while Turner sorts out her split from Joe Jonas, which is just class-act behavior.)
I don’t want to be a totally credulous dummy who can’t recognize a PR-orchestrated relationship when it’s screaming at me from the front page of every tabloid, but is it so wrong to theorize that some combination of her new “friendship” (wink-wink) with Kelce and her forays out with her girlies might actually be making Swift happier than we’ve seen her in recent years? She’s beaming in almost every single paparazzi shot taken of her at Kelce’s games, and for the sake of my own parasocial comfort, I’m going to assume that there’s some genuine joy and satisfaction behind that smile. I’m a big proponent of the idea that a good partner makes you more excited about your social life, not less, and if dating (or obliquely “hanging out with”) Kelce is spurring Swift to schedule more girls’ nights outs with the likes of Turner and Lively, I’m extremely into it. Mazel tov, queen!
