Travis Kelce can’t help but pay attention to the increased public scrutiny he has received since stepping out with Taylor Swift, the biggest pop star on the planet, in 2023.
During an interview with GQ as their September cover star, Kelce explained that he cares what the peanut gallery has to say — and he’s become “more strategic” in understanding how he portrays himself to the public.
“You can’t block that out,” Travis said of the heightened attention his relationship with Swift has brought on. “If someone says something that they don’t like about you, you have to be able to understand how you are portraying yourself for them to say that.
“I’m a guy who doesn’t want anyone to say anything negative about me. Some people don’t give a f–k. I’m someone who does care.”
Kelce went on to explain that he knows how he wants the public to view him.
“When you see me hanging out at the US Open with Taylor, it may look like the two of us are partying,” Kelce said. “But I’m just enjoying the fun of being at this really cool event that I always wanted to go to with the person that I love.
“Put another way, I’ve become way more strategic in understanding what I am portraying to people… I have a good understanding of how I want to be portrayed.”
Kelce, 35, previously reflected on the added attention and fame that came when he and Swift first got together in the summer of 2023.
Last month, the All-Pro tight end dismissed a narrative that he and Swift are “trying to seek attention” by having date nights in the public eye, including their appearance at the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.
In 2024, Kelce said he had to move into a gated community in Kansas City last year, due to safety concerns over people lurking outside of his home.
The three-time Super Bowl champ has discussed paparazzi hanging around his house.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
