Travis Kelce and his pop star girlfriend Taylor Swift continue to be watched under a microscope as fans dissect their every move. This time Swift caught fans’ ire as she was seen hugging an unknown Black man after Kelce caught a pass over the weekend.
During the Kansas City Chiefs’ Dec. 10 game against the Buffalo Bills, the Chiefs, down by 10 to their AFC rivals, got a much-needed play out of Patrick Mahomes as he threw a 22-yard pass to Kelce. The cameras immediately shot up to the tight end’s world-famous girlfriend.
As usual, Swift was celebrating her boyfriend’s success, but what was not usual this time was that she was embracing another man. The “Look What You Made Me Do” singer has been seen with Kelce’s mother, who is lovingly known as “Mama Kelce,” as well as Mahomes’ wife Brittany Mahomes, but most fans did not know who this man was.
Fans became investigators in the comments as they questioned if the singer had been caught red-handed by the cameras. Some said, “She’s cheating on him. All of America saw that non-platonic hug,” and “They down 10 she a lil 2 happy w that hug.”
While some felt this “red flag” was proof of infidelity, other people just wanted to kno “who tf that n—a Taylor Swift hugging on.” The internet detectives came together, and quickly quieted any rumors that Swift was caught with her secret lover.
who tf that nigga taylor swift hugging on😂😂
— Tyler Verse (@tylerverse_) December 10, 2023
The man was none other than Kelce’s childhood friend Aric Jones. Jones and Kelce both grew up in Ohio. Kelce previously talked about his relationship with Jones in a Vanity Fair article from June.
The future Hall of Famer said he’s known Jones since he was “5 or 6.” Jones told the outlet, “Travis has always been the larger-than-life white kid that’s always hung out with the Black kids.” They attended high school together but split up to go to college.
After Kelce and Jones finished their collegiate careers at the University of Cincinnati and Tennessee State University, respectively, the two became roommates in Kansas City. While there, they lived together for two years before Jones moved to Washington, D.C. Even though they no longer stay together, Jones still flies in to support or party with his friend.
Just like Mama Kelce, and her son’s exes Maya Benberry and Kayla Nicole, Jones has received an influx of interactions on his social media. The most liked photo on his Instagram is a photo from the game.
The Swifties also commented on the carousel asking if Jones was single and thanking him for “taking care” of Swift at the game. He even had a “Traylor” fan page asking where they could buy his hoodie. Jones is not just part of Kelce’s entourage, but he is also a business owner.
Jones owns a clothing company, called Homebred Legends, that he wears while attending the Chiefs games. He was wearing one of his hoodies when the cameras caught Swift hugging him. Swift already had an exponential effect on Kelce’s merchandise sales, so there is a chance Jones might also profit from his friends’ relationship.
