Taylor Swift was noticeably absent as the Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Buffalo Bills, losing 30-21 in what marked the Chiefs’ first defeat of the season. The pop superstar’s absence caught the attention of fans, especially since speculation had been rife that she might attend the game to support her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Swift, 34, has been on a whirlwind schedule with her Eras Tour, recently bringing her iconic performances to Toronto. She performed at the Rogers Centre last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and is not scheduled to take the stage again until this Thursday.
With a brief gap in her schedule, many expected that she might make the relatively short trip to Buffalo to watch Kelce and the Chiefs take on their AFC rivals. However, when game day arrived, Swift was nowhere to be seen as the Chiefs dropped their first game of the season.
According to Adam Lefkoe, Swift’s decision to skip the game may have been influenced by her experience at last season’s matchup between the Chiefs and Bills. Lefkoe, speaking on the show Up & Adams, provided some insight into why Swift chose not to attend the game.
“I have heard from people very close that it was not a great experience in Buffalo,” Lefkoe revealed. “It was not. For all parties involved. And I’m talking about the most famous of all the parties.”
Lefkoe, 37, went on to elaborate on the situation. “I think that it kind of shocked the Kelce family and everyone related to the Kelce family—the reception they got,” he continued. “They were kind of going in being like, ‘This is going to be an amazing game with good energy.’ And they got there and they experienced Bills Mafia in full form, in full form. In complete ruthlessness. And I think they left and went, ‘I don’t know if I want to experience that again.’ It was that kind of level of crazy.”
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He added, “I think there are certain fanbases that do their job, which is that when you are a visitor in their place, it is their job to make you uncomfortable.” Bills Mafia, known for their passionate and sometimes intimidating fan culture, made sure that the Kelce family felt the heat during their visit to Buffalo.
The January matchup between the Chiefs and Bills was a memorable one, with the Chiefs emerging victorious in a close 27-24 battle.
Travis Kelce’s brother, Jason Kelce, was also in attendance for that game. The now-retired Philadelphia Eagles star seemed unfazed by the rowdy atmosphere, even taking his shirt off at one point despite the freezing temperatures, much to the delight of Chiefs fans.
Commenting on Jason’s antics, Lefkoe joked, “What that is right there is an unbridled man that has been getting cursed at and yelled at for hours, that at the end got to go, ‘How about them apples?'” Jason’s carefree response to the hostile crowd became a talking point, adding to the lore of that game.
This season, Taylor Swift has missed several Chiefs games due to her Eras Tour commitments, though she has made appearances at some home games to cheer on Travis. Last weekend, she was at Arrowhead Stadium as the Chiefs eked out a narrow 16-14 win against the Denver Broncos, her presence adding an extra layer of excitement for fans in attendance.
As for this Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, Swift is not expected to attend, given her Eras Tour schedule. Although she wraps up the Toronto leg of her tour the night before, it seems unlikely she will make the trip to Carolina. For now, Chiefs fans will have to wait and see if Swift makes more appearances later in the season.
Taylor Swift’s relationship with Travis Kelce has become one of the most talked-about stories in both the sports and entertainment worlds.
While her appearances at games have provided plenty of memorable moments, it seems that some away games—especially those involving the notoriously intense Bills Mafia—are simply not on her list.
As the Chiefs look to bounce back from their first loss of the season, Swift will continue balancing her tour schedule with her support for Kelce, much to the delight of her fans.
