Taylor Swift is the most famous of all the WAGs, but will she change because of it? We bet not

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — Taylor Swift has been one of the Wives And Girlfriends of professional athletes (WAGs) for a minute, but there are levels in the WAG pyramid, if you will.

The superstar singer has been dating Kansas City Chiefs football player Travis Kelce since 2023, but the pair recently got engaged, which moves her closer to the “wives” portion of that unofficial club.

WAG, a celebratory term for our vernacular purposes, has reached reality show status in popular culture, most recently in “W.A.G.s to Riches” on Netfllix.

And while most WAGs, like Swift, are seen as supportive of their athlete partners, they are usually less famous.

Kelce rose to prominence when he joined the Chiefs in 2013, but his lady love has been on the music scene since she was 16 years old.

Forbes has designated Swift as the richest living female musician and estimates her worth at $1.6 billion, while Kelce’s portfolio is estimated to stand at $70 million.

Game recognizes game, and Kelce has expressed his admiration for the effort and conditioning required for Swift’s concert performances.

On his podcast in August, Kelce recalled seeing what he called “the recovery station” for Swift after her Eras Tour concert.

“S**t, I’m telling you, dude, the similarities were crazy,” Kelce said. “I was like, ‘Oh my Gosh. She does more than I do.’”

When it comes to the intersection of sports, culture and politics, the two have already shown they can successfully navigate their own paths.

The pop star has been more vocal in recent years about her political stances, including endorsing then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the most recent presidential election.

For his part, Kelce has not made direct comments about his political views.

He ran afoul of some anti-vaxers after starring in a 2023 ad done in partnership with Pfizer to publicize flu and Covid vaccine shots.

That same year, he also collaborated with Bud Light, a beer brand which stirred backlash from some conservatives after collaborating with actor and writer Dylan Mulvaney, who is trans.

Outrage aimed at the football player has not been from one side, however.

Some liberals were less than pleased when Kelce was asked about President Donald Trump’s planned attendance at Super Bowl LIX, which he and his team were playing in. Trump was making history as the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl game.

“It’s a great honor, I think you know, no matter who the president is,” Kelce said at the time. “I know I’m excited because it’s the biggest game of my life, you know, and having the president there – it’s the best country in the world – and that’s pretty cool.”

CNN legal analyst Lisa Bonner said she doesn’t see Swift changing her stance or stifling her desire to speak out on issues that matter to her.

“I don’t think that she’s going to be willing to silence herself. She does not speak out all the time, so when she does speak out, she has something to say,” Bonner said. “She just says it and moves on. I think that’s going to be the biggest challenge being able to keep her voice and reconcile that with the NFL.”

That’s because the NFL has famously attempted to avoid controversy, like in 2016 when then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sparked debate after he began kneeling during the National Anthem at the beginning of his games in protest of police brutality and racial inequality in the US.

But Swift has a massive audience and her own power, Bonner noted.

“She has moved mountains and moved economies in different cities when she was on tour,” the lawyer said. “So I don’t think that she’s really too worried about it. I think (the NFL is) probably more worried about it than she is.”

Bonner said she also doesn’t think Kelce is too concerned, as he is extremely supportive of Swift and pursued her in such a way that gave her fans the love story they have always wanted for her.

“He’s no shrinking violet in his own right,” Bonner said of Kelce. “He’s arguably, at this juncture, one of the most famous football players that is on the roster these days.”

“He checks all the boxes,” she said, “including the unbothered box.”

The-CNN-Wire
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