Stephen A Smith Stands Up for Taylor Swift Amid Controversy Surrounding Travis Kelce's Game Attendance
Stephen A Smith defends Taylor Swift's dedication to her boyfriend Travis Kelce, applauding her for attending several Kansas City Chiefs games to show support
Stephen A. Smith, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce. Getty Images(3)
Stephen A. Smith is not going to tolerate any criticism of Taylor Swift.
During a segment on ESPN, Smith, 56, took a moment to defend Swift, saying, “I have to come to her defense. It seems like everyone is acting as if she's a problem.”
Smith responded to criticism of Swift, 34, being seen at Kansas City Chiefs games supporting her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, by pointing out that she was simply doing her job and supporting her partner. He defended her attendance at the games by noting that she went after her concerts and did not use the games to boost attendance at her shows.
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Ever since Swift went public with Kelce in September 2023, NFL fans have been unable to shake thoughts of the pair. Her frequent presence at his football games prompted the NFL to take advantage of the attention by featuring her music in promotional clips and directing the camera towards her during broadcasts.
Smith believes that critics are overly fixated on finding a reason to criticize Taylor Swift. He emphasized that Swift's popularity with her audience is undeniable, and she deserves respect for her impact on popular culture and music. Smith also suggested that Swift's influence could have a positive effect on other artists, such as Travis Kelce. He made it clear that he has no intention of disrespecting Taylor Swift.
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Swift has previously received support from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who leaned into the craze around Kelce’s personal life.
"They appear to be genuinely enjoying their relationship, which is fantastic by itself. In addition, it has also brought together more fans of Taylor and the NFL in certain ways," he informed CBS in November 2023. "Taylor is an incredible artist, obviously, and Travis is an outstanding player. I believe it's wonderful for the league to attract this kind of attention - so we embrace it."
As for Swift, she isn't bothered by the negative reactions from some individuals.
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“I’m not sure how they figure out which suite I’m in. There’s a camera located a fair distance away, and the location of it is unknown. You never know when the camera is capturing footage of you for the broadcast, so I can’t tell if I’m being shown numerous times or just once,” she explained to TIME in December 2023 about all the attention. “I’m only there to support Travis. I have no clue if I’m being shown too frequently and upsetting a few dads, Brads, and Chads.”
Swift also expressed her enthusiasm for her relationship with Kelce, stating, “When you describe a relationship as being public, it means I get to witness him doing what he loves, we’re there for each other, other people are around, and we don’t mind. On the other hand, the opposite of that is having to go to great lengths to keep your relationship hidden. We are just proud of one another.”
