Taylor Swift Feared Her Fame Would ‘Scare’ Travis Kelce ‘Away’ in Early Days of Relationship (Exclusive)

He recounted his disappointment over not being able to deliver his digits (via a handmade friendship bracelet) two weeks later on his podcast, New Heights, telling his brother, Jason Kelce, “I was kind of butthurt.” Swift, also 34, was impressed with Travis’ candid confession — she later called the move “metal as hell.”

What followed was a whirlwind romance involving behind-the-scenes matchmakers (sportscaster Erin Andrews and Travis’ teammate Patrick Mahomes have both separately taken credit for playing Cupid), her headline-generating appearances at his games, an epic backstage kiss in Buenos Aires, letting loose in the crowd at Coachella and, more recently, double dates with famous pals like Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper.

“This has been the best year of both of their lives,” a source exclusively shares in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “[Between] the Super Bowl and their families meeting and traveling the world together, it’s been quite a ride for Taylor and Travis.”

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While neither is new to the fame game, being one-half of the most famous couple on Earth was more of a transition for Travis.

“His life has changed significantly with the increased public attention,” says a second source. “Taylor was worried that bringing Travis into her world would scare him away, but he embraced it and handled it so well.” (Travis addressed the newfound attention during an October 2023 press conference, saying, “You’ve got a lot of people that care about Taylor, and for good reason.”)

The source says Travis’ attitude “made her fall in love with him even more.”

A third source says there were some growing pains for Travis, who moved into a $6 million Kansas City mansion shortly after they went public.

“People would show up at his house and leave things on his doorstep,” says the source. “It kind of freaked him out at first. He didn’t feel safe.”

Travis’ close-knit family — including his mom, Donna Kelce, his brother, Jason, and his sister-in-law, Kylie Kelce — helped keep him grounded.

“Travis was a star before Taylor, but this has catapulted him to a household name,” says a fourth source. “He has been handling it the best he can. He’s always had good people around him.”

In a Groove

They spent months jet-setting around the globe to see each other during his football season and her Eras Tour. Travis memorably flew to Argentina for 48 hours to attend her November 11 concert.

“Taylor’s shows are unbelievable,” he told Us at his Kelce Jam festival on May 18. “If you haven’t been to them, you got to try it.” Swift, meanwhile, rushed from Japan to make it to Las Vegas within hours of the Super Bowl.

Now things have mellowed out a bit since the early, frenzied days of their romance. “Taylor and Travis are very confident in their relationship, so they don’t have to bend over backwards and travel to see each other for less than a day,” says the first source.

Adds the second source: “They’re in an easy era. They have daily FaceTimes when they’re apart and send cute texts to each other. They are wildly in love.”

Despite their hectic schedules, they make it work. “Taylor and Travis both have a lot of demands in their careers, which allows them the time and space to miss each other,” says the third source. The second source says they also stay connected with “little gestures and gifts to keep the romance alive.”