Megastars Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are married, the singer's publicist announced on Friday as guests attended a star-studded celebration at Madison Square Garden in New York that followed a three-year romance.
"JUST&T MARRIED," flashed on giant screens on the exterior of the Manhattan sports arena. Moments later, Swift's publicist confirmed via email that the Grammy-winning musician had wed the Kansas City Chiefs star football player.
Comedian Adam Sandler officiated the ceremony, the statement said.
While the duo had not previously confirmed their plans, the preparations gripped the public. Stars including Jennifer Lopez, Ed Sheeran, Ethan Hawke, Jimmy Fallon and Abby Wambach were spotted entering the venue on a sweltering day when temperatures topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
Onlookers including the singer's "Swifties" fans strained to catch a glimpse of the celebrity crowd, amid heavy security at a site that sits atop one of New York's major transit hubs.
Black sport utility vehicles snarled traffic as they drove into the facility, stopping when workers asked occupants to show electronic tickets for verification.
“Watch your toes!” yelled a person at the checkpoint to the crowd while guests’ cars passed a few feet away.
Dozens of onlookers stood behind barriers outside the event dubbed "America's royal wedding." One showed off a pink-and-white friendship bracelet that read "Team Bride." Another held a handmade sign that put a spin on a Swift lyric. "Karma is the guy on the Chiefs, coming straight to MSG," it said.
Jane Lowry, a 15-year-old high school student from Texas who came to New York on vacation, climbed scaffolding across the street from the Garden to catch a glimpse of arriving celebrities.
“I wanted to see Taylor Swift because I do really like her music,” Lowry said, adding that she had spotted only two football players from her vantage point.
Swift has documented her romances and breakups in her music, and Lowry said she looked forward to the singer's album releases during her marriage. "I think she'll write some cute songs about it,” she said.
DAYS OF SETUP
Workers spent days this week unloading food and scenery for a major event into the iconic Manhattan arena. Lights atop the Empire State Building were set to turn light blue on Friday evening, a nod to the adage that "something blue" at a wedding brings good luck, according to a social media account for the landmark.
U.S. media have reported the pair plan a cocktail hour for 1,000 people at the start of a long holiday weekend when the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence from British rule. The couple through a publicist on Thursday said they had donated $26 million to several charities in the city and elsewhere this week.
Country music star Dolly Parton thanked Swift and Kelce on social media on Friday for a $2 million donation to her charity, which sends free books to children. While she made no mention of a wedding, Parton's post included a playful nod to any children the couple may have in the future.
"It's evident that you two have made giving back a key part of your life. So, hey, when you have the firstborn, can I have it? Because that is going to be one special baby," Parton said.
PUBLIC COURTSHIP
The couple's love story began in 2023 when Kelce tried unsuccessfully to meet Swift backstage at one of her concerts, but succeeded in capturing her attention and warming her heart by recounting his disappointment on a podcast. Both are 36 years old.
As the relationship grew, they appeared publicly together at her concerts, his Kansas City Chiefs games and on "Saturday Night Live," leading to an August 2025 engagement announcement on Instagram that read “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”
One of the most successful musicians of all time, the writer of "Love Story" and "Shake It Off" has won 14 Grammy Awards and shattered records with a global concert tour that made her a billionaire.
Kelce, among the National Football League's best-known players, helped the Kansas City Chiefs win three Super Bowls alongside star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He also co-hosts the popular sports and pop culture podcast “New Heights.”
‘VERY PROUD MOMENT’
Kelce first tried to meet Swift after she performed at Kansas City, Missouri's Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the Chiefs, as part of her Eras Tour, a retrospective of her two-decade career. He failed to make it through security and said on his podcast that he was "a little butthurt" he did not get the chance to meet Swift and give her a friendship bracelet bearing his phone number.
Swift was charmed, recounting on a later "New Heights" episode that the gesture reminded her of “an '80s John Hughes movie, and he was just like, standing outside of my window with a boombox and being like, 'I want to date you.'”
She said she thought, “If this guy isn't crazy, which is a big if, this is sort of what I've been writing songs about wanting to happen to me since I was a teenager.”
Source: Reuters
--Agencies
