Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship began with the now-famous friendship bracelet story, but a new report claims the early stage was not immediately serious on Kelce’s side.
The Mirror, citing Daily Mail reporting, said Kelce was allegedly dating casually before his romance with Swift became public and was slow to respond to some of her early texts.
The report claimed Kelce “wasn’t looking for anything serious” at the beginning. Neither Swift nor Kelce has publicly said he ignored her texts.
The claim resurfaced as the couple faces renewed wedding speculation tied to early July reports in New York City.
Kelce Was Reportedly Slow to Pursue Swift at First
The Mirror reported that Kelce allegedly did not treat the connection as exclusive at first. The outlet cited a source who claimed Kelce was not avoiding Swift, but was also not ready to be pushed into a serious relationship.
Page Six also summarized the Daily Mail claim, reporting that Kelce had “no serious intentions” at the start and was dating others before he and Swift quietly began seeing each other.
The same report said Swift and Kelce became exclusive in September 2023, the same month Swift made her first public appearance at one of his Chiefs games.
The Friendship Bracelet Started the Public Story
Kelce first made the story public in July 2023 after attending Swift’s Eras Tour stop at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
People reported at the time that Kelce said on New Heights that he wanted to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it. He said he was disappointed that Swift did not talk before or after shows because she needed to save her voice for the concert.
“I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it,” Kelce said on the podcast, according to People.
Swift Said They Had Time Together Before the First Chiefs Game
Swift later said the Chiefs game was not the couple’s first date. In her 2023 TIME Person of the Year interview, she said she and Kelce started spending time together after he mentioned the bracelet on his podcast.
“We had a significant amount of time that no one knew,” Swift told TIME. “So we were able to get to know each other.”
Swift’s first public Chiefs appearance came on Sept. 24, 2023, when she watched Kansas City play the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium. People reported that she sat in Kelce’s suite with his mother, Donna Kelce.
The Couple Discussed the Origin Story on New Heights
Swift later appeared on New Heights and joked that the podcast “got me a boyfriend.” People reported that she also joked Kelce had used the show as his “personal dating app.”
The episode aired in August 2025, after Swift and Kelce had been together for nearly two years. Swift also used the appearance to discuss her music and announce details connected to The Life of a Showgirl.
Kelce and Swift announced their engagement later that month.
Wedding Speculation Has Put the Timeline Back in the News
The early-texting claim is circulating during a new round of wedding coverage. The Associated Press reported that Swift and Kelce have not publicly confirmed wedding plans, despite reports pointing to Madison Square Garden events in early July.
AP reported that public records show permits connected to loading, unloading, and a canopy or tent outside Madison Square Garden from June 29 to July 4. The outlet said it could not independently confirm the reported wedding details.
Swift and Kelce have not publicly addressed the Daily Mail text-message claim.