Fake news and social media often go hand in hand because it’s super easy to make something controversial go viral since people are too lazy to check if the things they read are actually true. Sometimes, however, it’s the most obvious satire that people struggle to catch. In the case of Taylor Swift, it was the latter when a humor post was mistaken for real news that claimed Taylor Swift was banned from the Kansas City Chiefs games.
Well, you might already know by now that she is not actually banned. But what is the real story? And, how did these rumors originate? Let’s separate fact from fiction.
When Satire Goes Viral: The Taylor Swift-Kansas City Chiefs Hoax Explained
A viral post on Facebook (now deleted) claimed players of the Kansas City Chiefs signed a petition to ban Taylor Swift from attending their home games. Apparently, the Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes agreed to sign the petition, but the singer’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce did not. The post alleged that the players were getting frustrated by Swift taking all the attention for herself whenever she turned up to the Arrowhead Stadium.
The post originally made rounds on a Facebook page called “America’s Last Line of Defense,” which is notorious for creating satirical and fictional content. Despite the disclaimer on the page that nothing they claim is real, it still managed to fool the masses. Queries like “Taylor Swift banned from KC games” began to trend on search engines, notably Google.
To be fair to the Facebook page, they made the story sound convincing enough even with a heavy dose of humor. The post clearly joked (that flew over many people’s heads) that the team was hoping the management would listen to their petition. The satire was obvious, but it did not stop the post from gaining an insane amount of traction on social media.
The post received over 10k reactions and more than 3.3k comments, with internet users both believing and questioning the legitimacy of the story. Some commenters couldn’t help but take this opportunity to express their strong feelings against the pop icon. The fact that there was nothing ironic in those comments just goes to show how easily satire can blur the lines for some readers. The introduction for “America’s Last Line of Defense” clearly states that it is a place for humor and “trollery,” with everything that comes out of that page being purely fictional.
This is not the first time Taylor Swift has found herself at the center of false stories concerning her involvement in the NFL, especially in 2024. Earlier in the year, similar claims were made, where Taylor was alleged to have been banned from NFL games and the Super Bowl. However, they were quickly debunked as satire or misinformation. The Kansas City Chiefs CEO, Clark Hunt, even spoke positively about her impact, citing a boost in the team’s fan base and merchandise sales.
Since the 34-year-old is a polarizing personality on the internet despite her incredible, loyal fanbase, it’s quite easy to see that these stories, jokes or otherwise, will continue to spread one way or the other on social media. And all of it boils down to her romantic life that took a surprising turn in 2023.
The Love Story of Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce
Taylor Swift has been dating Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce for almost a year. It all started in the summer of 2023 when Kelce tried to give Swift his phone number via a friendship bracelet at one of her concerts. They didn’t meet then, but fans were already sensing a possible romance, especially after Travis publicly expressed his interest in her on his podcast. Fans couldn’t hold their excitement at the prospect of the pop star dating the NFL player. The rumor mill went into overdrive after Travis’ brother, Jason, jokingly confirmed the speculations.
In September 2023, Taylor Swift attended one of Travis Kelce’s football games, sitting in his VIP suite and cheering him on. After the match, the couple was spotted leaving the stadium together, which pretty much confirmed their relationship to fans and the media. Travis later revealed a few details about their dating adventures, praising Taylor and noting that they were getting to know each other in private before the public appearances. The couple has since been seen together frequently at major events, such as Taylor’s concerts and Travis’ football games.
There have been a few rumors that the two have taken their relationship to the next level with an engagement, but the lovebirds have yet to confirm any plans for marriage. Many Swifties, however, are convinced that Taylor and Travis are secretly engaged, but even if they are, they might want to keep certain aspects of their romantic life private for now.
