Perry Knotts / Contributor; ROBYN BECK / Contributor
Travis Kelce Is ‘Not So Happy’ With Some of the ‘Rules’ and ‘Restrictions’ Taylor Swift Set for Him
NFL star Travis Kelce loves shouting his catchphrase after a big win: “You gotta fight for your right to party!” But by the time the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII victory parade wound down around lunchtime on February 14, the tight end was fighting to stand up.
That morning, Travis chugged beer and gulped from a funnel in the street, used the Lombardi Trophy as a liquid luge and, according to one social media commenter, had also “been drinking Don Julio [tequila] since 10 a.m.”
When Trav took the stage at the end of the parade route and launched into a sloppy, slurred version of Garth Brooks’ country classic “Friends in Low Places,” teammates had to hold him up until quarterback Patrick Mahomes finally pulled the microphone away. “I knew Travis was gonna be messy, but Kelce is LIT lit,” an observer wrote on X. Another branded him a “sloppy drunk.”
Yet another summed up the sentiments of many, writing, “Love Travis!!! BUT this is embarrassing!!!!!”
Fans aren’t the only ones who took notice. While Travis’ girlfriend, Taylor Swift, enjoyed hours of drinking alongside him as they partied at multiple nightclubs after the big game in Las Vegas on February 11, friends believe that his parade antics ventured into cringe territory. “He should have reined it in a little bit,” explains a source, who exclusively tells Life & Style Trav’s boozed-up behavior isn’t all the pop star is looking to change.
“Pals are saying now that Taylor and Travis are more than six months into their relationship, she feels comfortable setting certain rules for him to follow. Fortunately, Travis is on board — with most of them, anyway.”
Making Her Happy
Most, but not all. “Travis is fine with Taylor giving him her thoughts and opinions on how to navigate such a public relationship. He really does appreciate it,” says the source. “He’s not so happy with some of the restrictions she wants in place, though.”
For example, Travis — who’s talked about past visits to adult-entertainment venues on his “New Heights” podcast and wore a Crazy Horse 3 Las Vegas shirt to a November football game — “is fine not going to strip clubs anymore (that’s one of her hard rules), but Taylor also doesn’t want him posing for photographs with female fans, mostly to avoid inaccurate headlines,” explains the source. “He had to roll his eyes at that one.”
As Travis has quickly learned, $1.1 billion woman Taylor is a master at shaping her public image. “But he has no interest in playing a calculated media game if it’s going to make him think twice about every move he makes. That’s not his style,” adds the source.
Yet he’s also a man in love — something he publicly declared on the field after his team won the AFC Championship in January, notes the source — so he’s willing to give it a go.
Gentle Demands
There’s more. “Friends claim that Taylor has asked Travis to FaceTime her, not just text, when they’re apart,” shares the source, noting that “she didn’t overtly say it, but she secretly wants to see where he is and who he’s with. Taylor’s a good judge of character and fears that some of his buddies are red flags.”
Still, neither she nor Travis, both 34, is telling the other who they can or can’t associate with, notes the source: “That would be a relationship deal breaker for both of them.”
His wardrobe is also in her crosshairs. “Though she admits she’s no fashionista, Taylor’s splashed out $500,000 to help Travis dress better,” alleges the source, pointing out that the singer’s own Super Bowl look, alone, cost over $60K.
“She loves that he likes to take chances with his style choices, but some of his outfits have been suspect. He’s at an all-new fame level, so stepping it up with designer duds is just part of the deal. Taylor says she’s not changing him — it’s an evolution.”
The bottom line is that she feels they really could be endgame. “She doesn’t want to control him — just help. He’s under a microscope now, more than ever,” says the source, noting the headline-making athlete currently appears in commercials for at least six major brands and filed five merchandise-trademark applications last year to expand his off-field businesses.
“Taylor loves Travis and thinks these rules will help things with their romance, as well as his career, stay on the rails.” And, ultimately, adds the source, “they’re both committed to doing whatever it takes to make their relationship stronger.”
