2023 has been an epic year for Taylor Swift. She launched what’s set to become the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, released the top - earning concert film in history, broke chart records she previously set herself, became a billionaire, and beat out world leaders to be named Time magazine’s Person of the Year. She also found love with NFL star Travis Kelce. In an interview with Time, Taylor proclaims she’s “the happiest I’ve ever felt.”
But not long after Taylor gave that interview, says a source, things started to change. “She and Travis are now five months into their relationship, and because of all the attention and the scrutiny, they’re really starting to feel the pressure. All eyes are on them, and friends are worried the pair won’t make it.”
For his part, Travis, 34, also recently gushed about Taylor, 34, telling WSJ Magazine in November that she’s “hilarious,” “a genius,” and a woman who shares his same world views, values and devotion to family, “which is right up my alley.” But now that reality is setting in, says the source, “it’s a little different. It’s been a whirlwind between her concerts, his football games, and meeting each other’s parents and friends. Now that they’re coming down to earth a little, there appears to be trouble ahead.”
Taylor has two months off before her tour resumes, so she’s able to spend more time with Travis. “But the hard conversations are coming up,” says the source. “For one thing, they’ve had to deal with nasty rumors,” like the claim by Instagram gossip account DeuxMoi that Taylor and ex Joe Alwyn, 32, secretly married during their six-year romance, which ended earlier this year.
(“It’s a fabricated lie,” says Taylor’s rep.) Meanwhile, Travis had to refute a Barstool Sports report that claimed he and influencer Kayla Nicole, 32, split in 2022 after five years together because he’s cheap and “kept making her pay for half of everything.” Then in October, his ex Maya Benberry, 31 — whom Travis dated for a few months in 2016 after they met on his reality dating show, Catching Kelce — branded him a “cheater” and a “narcissist.” “While Taylor doesn’t believe any of it,” says a source, “it’s still hard to ignore and creates some tension between her and Travis.”
There’s also drama closer to home. According to the source, Taylor and Travis have faced “some backlash from his family, who fear Taylor isn’t the right one for him. There are huge problems,” starting with his mother, Donna, 71, who at first didn’t seem so thrilled about her son’s new romance with the superstar. When Donna was asked in October on Today about meeting Taylor, Donna responded it was just “OK.” (She later insisted she was just trying not to sound too enthusiastic about her son’s new relationship.)
Brother Jason, a center on the Philadelphia Eagles who cohosts the podcast “New Heights” with Travis, has confessed he’s worried about his younger sibling. Though Jason, 36, is “really, really happy” for Travis, he told NBC Sports in November, the constant media attention and nuclear level of stardom have sparked concerns for “Travis’ safety.”
Some family members, adds the source, “have also shared concerns that Taylor could end up dumping Travis and he’ll become fodder for her next breakup song.” Another possible red flag? Taylor refuses to stay at Travis’ new mansion, near Kansas City, Missouri. “She says she wants to be married before she officially moves into his house,” says the source.
The couple will face the biggest obstacle of all — distance — in 2024. The second half of Taylor’s Eras Tour takes her out of the country for all but three months of the year. “There are fears,” says the source, “that they won’t survive the separation,” as Travis honors his football and training commitments in the States.
“They definitely seem committed to each other,” adds the source, “but Taylor always seems committed to whoever she’s dating. This time could be different, though. She lights up every time she sees Travis. She may finally have found ‘the one.’”
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