Sunday in the NFL, we saw history in the making, as Kansas City drubbed the Chicago Bears, 41-10, in an offensive explosion. But it wasn’t the game that was the story. It was the appearance of pop megastar Taylor Swift – apparently as the new girlfriend of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and even doing a chest bump after he scored a touchdown.
Not to spill the tea here, but it appears that Kelce and Swift, both 33, have become an item. Like any good girlfriend should, she even sat next to his Mom during the game. And the two were filmed leaving the game together as Chiefs fans roared in approval.
However, it’s not the first time we have seen a sports star get involved with a female celebrity who draws as many paparazzi members as they do fans in the bleachers. And? It makes sense, they do run in the same circles and have demanding lives. It’s happened many times before – some to success, most to titanic failure.
That’s when the fans got a glimpse of a true ‘Love Story‘, as Taylor Swift might call it. When a celebrity girlfriend goes to cheer on her man, the fans eat it up. Here’s a look at five famous times this has occurred in the past.
Disclaimer: No Kardashians have been included on this list
Jessica Simpson (Tony Romo)
As mentioned above, not all of these turn out so well. So we’ll start off with one of the girlfriends who might have gone a little too far.
Bubbly, blonde pop star Jessica Simpson was at the height of her fame when she stopped by to watch her main squeeze, Tony Romo, play quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. She attended a Dec. 16, 2007 game vs. the New York Giants.
The Cowboys lost 12-6, and many fans blamed Simpson and her antics during the game for being a distraction. She and Romo would later split in 2009.
Rihanna (Matt Kemp)
Although she nearly escaped detection under a blue hoodie, sultry sensation Rihanna once attended a Dodgers game in the field box seats to root on her boyfriend – Los Angeles’ slugging outfielder, Matt Kemp in 2010.
The pair didn’t last very long, as the paparazzi swirling around them always seemed to bother the baseball star, who felt uncomfortable with all the attention.
Kemp would later discuss the challenges of having a girlfriend so famous by saying: “I just want to be a regular man.”
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Taylor Swift (Travis Kelce)
This is still a developing story, as it was somewhat of a revelation on Sunday. Swift’s appearance was certainly memorable, and to see her cheer on the always affable Kelce was a heartwarming story – especially for the KC faithful.
What will likely be remembered most is the ‘chest-bump-heard-round-the-world, which seemed aggressively out-of-character for the normally dulcet diva.
All the tabloids will (surely) be following this closely, but there’s still no word yet on whether or not the singer got a chance to check out any Kansas City-style barbecue while she was in town.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cO5UsUwDlw
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Jennifer Lopez (Alex Rodriguez)
Man… it really looked like these crazy kids might make it, and they were really going to live it up. Their on-and-off romance actually began in 2005, and the pair would get engaged over ten years later. But it never materialized into marriage.
However, one notable moment came when the now-retired Rodriguez made his much-ballyhooed debut as an announcer for ESPN. A-Rod was up in the booth when his girlfriend popped in to give him a good luck smooch.
Sadly, the slugger would strike out again with the saucy singer, as they eventually fell apart (again), and she went on to rekindle yet another old flame. She wed actor Ben Affleck in 2022.
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Madonna (Dennis Rodman)
Perhaps the greatest diva of all time, the iconic popster was spotted with her famous flame, Dennis Rodman, several times while he was a member of the San Antonio Spurs. So much so, that it caught the attention of Coach Gregg Popovich.
Pop’s Spurs were looked at as one of the favorites in the NBA Western Conference Playoffs in 1995, but they eventually fell to the Rockets, who went on to win the title that year. Both Madonna and Rodman were made out to be scapegoats for the loss, and The Worm would be shipped out of town to Chicago… and the rest, as they say, is history.
So, in this case? Perhaps Madonna is who we have to thank for the Bulls’ last three championships.
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