Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's Breakup PR Plan Is Fake, Agency Says

Top line

The relationship that launched a million memes between pop superstar Taylor Swift and NFL tight end Travis Kelce suddenly seemed in jeopardy this week after a document purporting to be from one of Kelce’s agents circulated on social media claiming the couple was headed for a breakup — but it now appears to be an elaborate prank.

Travis Kelce kisses Taylor Swift after beating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime during … (+) Super Bowl LVIII on February 11, 2024.

Getty Images

Key facts

A document titled “Travis Kelce’s Complete Post-Taylor Swift Breakup PR Media Plan” from Full Scope PR began going viral on Reddit before spreading to other social media sites earlier this week.

The multi-page public relations plan claims to be the blueprint for crafting Kelce’s public statement and hopes to “manage and mitigate the fallout from Travis Kelce’s breakup with Taylor Swift, ensuring that Travis Kelce maintains a positive public image, minimizes negative media portrayal, and continues to build his personal and professional brand.”

The document states that Kelce’s team plans to release an official statement announcing the split on September 28, “three days after the breakup to allow the initial media frenzy to calm down and provide clarity.”

The plan provides a sample statement, says Kelce will do select interviews with outlets like ESPN, Vanity Fair and People magazine, and includes talking points like emphasizing “his respect for Taylor Swift and the mutual decision to part ways.”

However, Full Scope PR claims that no one from the agency had anything to do with the document and that the company’s legal team is investigating who illegally used the agency’s logo and impersonated a member of the company. The original Reddit page sharing the post has since been deleted.

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Key context

Kelce and Swift were publicly linked last September after Swift appeared at a Kansas City Chiefs game to cheer on the tight end. Kelce first suggested he was interested in Swift in July on his popular podcast “New Heights,” where he admitted to making a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it to give to Swift after seeing an Eras Tour performance. Fans took Swift’s appearance at the September game — which she watched from a suite alongside Kelce’s mother, Donna, and drove away with Kelce in a convertible — as confirmation of the relationship rumors. The appearance sparked a media frenzy that saw the NFL itself cash in with online jokes, brands launch Kelce/Swift-related merchandise, and it led to a surge in viewership for league games. Since then, Swift has attended a handful of other Chiefs games (including the Super Bowl in Las Vegas), Kelce has been spotted at her Eras Tour overseas shows (including an appearance at Wembley Stadium in London), and they’ve been seen on dates around the world.

What should you pay attention to?

If Swift will attend the Chiefs’ first game of the new season, the Baltimore Ravens will play at Arrowhead Stadium at 8:20 p.m. EDT on Thursday for the NFL opener.

Tangent

Kelce’s stardom skyrocketed last year thanks to high-profile brand deals with Pfizer, Experian and Campbell Soup, the release of a documentary centered on his brother, Travis, called “Kelce,” and, of course, his public relationship with Swift. Kelce, who has played for the Kansas City Chiefs his entire career, has made major branding and acting strides in the past year, in addition to landing some big-name endorsements. He made a surprise appearance in the “Saturday Night Live” opening sketch about the hype surrounding his relationship with Swift in October, and in May announced that he had landed his first-ever acting role on the FX series “Grotesquerie.” Last month, it was announced that he would star in a Lionsgate action comedy called “Loose Cannons” and would appear in the film “Happy Gilmore 2.”

Large number

$100 million. That’s the estimated value of the Kelce brothers’ podcast deal with Amazon’s Wondery, announced last week.

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s Breakup PR Plan Is Fake, Agency Says