‘Getting married’: Taylor Swift announces engagement to Travis Kelce

Music superstar Taylor Swift and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce announced their engagement in a post made to Instagram.

Pop sensation Taylor Swift has announced her engagement to top NFL star Travis Kelce in a social media post.

“Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” her post on Instagram reads.

Rumours of the two dating began in August 2023 after Kelce was spotted at one of Swift’s concerts in Kansas City — where Kelce plays with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs — during her Eras Tour.

By November of that year, the two confirmed they were together in a Wall Street Journal interview, during which Kelce said he’s “never dated” anyone like her before.

Swift and Kelce’s romance captured the attention of both sports and pop culture fans alike as the global music star and three-time Super Bowl champion seemed like a couple straight out of a fairytale.

Swift has attended Chiefs games on multiple occasions with fans leaning into the trend of labelling her an NFL WAG — an acronym for wife and girlfriend.

Their relationship quickly became a cultural touchstone, fuelling headlines and hashtags across social media and promoting businesses to capitalize on the “Swiftie-WAG” craze.

Power couple

The engagement follows Swift’s announcement of her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” earlier this month.

Her Eras Tour, which began on March 17, 2023, in Arizona and concluded in Vancouver last December, saw Swift perform more than 140 shows spanning five continents and raked in more than US$2 billion in ticket sales, solidifying it as the highest-grossing tour in history.

The Grammy-winner’s broader influence extends beyond performance revenue as she has taken full control of her music catalogue and recently acquired the masters to her early albums following roughly six years since she protested the sale of her master recordings by her former record label.

Meanwhile, on the football field, Kelce stands as one of the NFL’s most decorated tight ends. Despite rumours of retirement, he confirmed his return for his 13th season, saying it “wasn’t much of a decision at all.”

“The Chiefs organization knows how much I love them. I can’t see myself playing anywhere else,” Kelce told The Associated Press.

Reactions pouring in

The engagement post has been liked by millions, including public figures, celebrities, British royalty and even the U.S. president.

“I think he’s a great player, and he’s a great guy, and I think she’s a terrific person,” Trump told reporters at a cabinet meeting when asked about the engagement.

Other celebrities, like Sabrina Carpenter, Cara Delevingne and Swift’s longtime friend Abigail Anderson, have reposted the announcement on their Instagram stories.

The sports world is also praising the news.

The National Football League congratulated the couple in a social media post.

The reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers also reacted in an X post, saying “we’re not the only ones getting a ring this year.”

With files from The Associated Press