I kept waiting for the internet to break on Tuesday. Pop star Taylor Swift got engaged to NFL star Travis Kelce. There hasn’t been news this big in the entertainment world since, well, Swift and Kelce started dating.
In a joint Instagram post, the happy couple posted a photo of the two in a flower garden with Kelce on one knee and Swift hugging him. Swift wrote, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.” The post featured several more photos, including one with Swift sporting a huge diamond ring — which could be worth $1 million.
Shortly after, “royal wedding” was trending on X. The Instagram post had more than 18 million likes in the first four hours.
The best headline might have been from Awful Announcing: “NFL podcast host announces engagement to recent guest.” (Swift recently appeared on the “New Heights” podcast, hosted by Kelce and his brother, Jason.)
Swift and Kelce, both 35, have been dating since the summer of 2023. Many, at first, questioned whether the relationship was genuine or just a PR stunt. But it soon became clear that the two were serious, especially after Swift started appearing at Kansas City Chiefs games — helping the mega-popular National Football League become even more popular, showing the magnitude of Swift’s fame.
The NFL posted about the engagement on its official social media accounts. In its post, the NFL shared a clip of Kelce and Swift after the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII. In the clip, with confetti falling, Swift tells Kelce, “This is so crazy. I’m in shock, I can’t believe this is really happening.” Over top of that clip, the NFL wrote, “same.”
Swift is so big that USA Today hired a writer to specifically cover her full time. Bryan West, digging into Swift’s lyrics, came up with this lead for his story on the engagement: “It’s a love story, and Taylor Swift said yes.” West and USA Today even put out a slickly produced video.
Even President Donald Trump, who has been critical of Swift in the past, weighed in with nice comments when asked about it while speaking to reporters during a Tuesday meeting with his cabinet. Trump said, “Well, I wish ‘em a lot of luck. I think he’s a great player. I think he’s a great guy, and I think that she’s a terrific person, so I wish them a lot of luck.”
Oh, and be sure to check out this post from CBS News, which shows White House reporter Olivia Rinaldi’s reaction to the big news, as well as her reporting on CBS News’ 24/7 streaming platform.
No word yet on when the wedding will be. The NFL’s regular season starts in a week, so one would expect the two wouldn’t get married until next spring at the earliest.
This piece originally appeared in The Poynter Report, our daily newsletter for everyone who cares about the media. Subscribe to The Poynter Report here.
