Taylor Swift is the NFL’s most famous fan, but she and boyfriend Travis Kelce missed out on the 2024 ESPY Awards on Thursday, July 11.
The pop star, 34, is in the midst of the European leg of her Eras Tour. After wrapping a two-show stint in Zürich on Wednesday, July 10, she will next perform two concerts in Milan on Saturday, July 13, and Sunday, July 14. Meanwhile, the ESPY Awards — where Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs were nominated for Best Team — took place in Los Angeles on Thursday night.
Kelce, 34, was also not present for the ceremony. While neither Swift nor Kelce attended the biggest night in sports, the couple were the topic of host Serena Williams‘ monologue. The tennis legend, 42, joked that Swift’s boyfriend went on to win a Super Bowl with teammate Patrick Mahomes. Williams also teased that Kelce and the singer spent “$100,000 a day on their romance” which was the same amount Boston Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown needs for his beard.
Despite Swift’s lack of attendance, she and Kelce have ramped up their public displays of affection in recent weeks as he has joined her for several shows in Europe. Kelce even made his Eras Tour stage debut in London on June 23 with a surprise cameo during Swift’s “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” transition.
“I initially mentioned to Tay, I was like, ‘How funny would it be if I just rolled out on one of the bikes during the 1989 [section]?’ She started laughing, she was like, ‘Would you seriously be up for doing something like that?’ I was like, ‘What? I would love to do that, are you kidding me?’” he recalled. “I’ve seen the show enough, might as well put me to work here. And sure enough, she found the perfect part of the show for me to come in.”
Although Travis was excited about the cameo, he was also slightly nervous. “Listen, the one thing I told myself is, ‘Do not drop the baby. Do not drop Taylor on your way over [to] this damn couch,’” he quipped. “The golden rule was, ‘Do not drop Taylor. Get her to the couch safely.’”
Travis later surprised Swift at her Dublin show on June 30. In videos shared by fans online, her face lit up as she spotted him in the VIP tent while singing “August.”
Earlier this month, Travis supported Swift at two of her concerts in Amsterdam, sweetly hyping her up as she exited the stage after the shows. She also performed a special mashup of “Mary’s Song (Oh My My My),” “So High School” and “Everything Has Changed” on Saturday, July 6. Swifties have been anticipating the debut of “Mary’s Song” in the surprise songs segment ever since Swift began dating Travis in the summer of 2023, as the track features a coincidental nod to his jersey number. The moment did not disappoint either, with concertgoers capturing videos of Travis seemingly wiping away tears during the heartfelt performance.
As the pair’s bond deepens over time, a source exclusively told Us Weekly in June that they are in it for the long haul. “Nobody has ever made Taylor feel this way,” the insider shared. “Taylor and Travis bring out the best in each other and lift each other up. She absolutely sees this going the distance.”
