Many celebrity couples are doomed. But Taylor-Travis will be different

3 weeks ago 3

Opinion

August 29, 2025 — 11.17am

For decades, I’ve watched and written about countless celebrity love stories. My strike rate in predicting if they’d go the distance is pretty good. Not that it’s super hard. Many of them are nonsense, short stories studded with sterile platinum solitaire rings and more lust than sense.

But Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement? I’m so here for it.

Taylor Swift and fiancé, NFL player Travis Kelce, pictured in New York in 2023, early in their romance.

I know. Why care? Call it midlife wisdom or temporary insanity at the idea of the wedding photos, but this couple is different – from that glorious old school rock to, um, he’s called Travis. (Social tag: @killatrav. Yeah, killer.)

We know exactly how they see themselves, as per their engagement post caption: our English and gym teachers. Their stylised “baby just say yes” photos were pure throwback Americana: co-ordinating Ralph Lauren and a guy on one knee in his backyard.

That’s what makes this compelling. In many ways they’re dazzlingly unrelatable – her cat flies on a private jet, his Super Bowl rings are insured for more than our houses – but their relationship and how they live it makes them feel deeply relatable.

It’s like your favourite friend in the group got engaged after heartbreak upon heartbreak, and you’re thinking, “This guy is solid – he won’t hurt her.”

Most thrilling for any emotionally overactive person who kissed a slew of frogs before leaving them in the pond sludge is that the queen of the carefully curated image chose a good-natured doofus with labrador energy.

After years of dating sensitive indie musicians and British actors and mining that heartbreak for platinum, she went for the big dag who tackles people for a living.

What’s ace about Travis is he’s utterly, shamelessly enthusiastic about Taylor.

He chased her from the start, calling her his crush, making her a bracelet with his phone number on it. That willingness to publicly not play it cool is very cool. And he’s not remotely intimidated his future bride is more famous than he’ll ever be, and worth 10 times more.

I mean, killatrav looks like he could crush rocks or a small civic rebellion with his bare hands, but he’s about masculinity, not machismo. There’s no fragile male ego about his wife’s power.

In fact, he seems thrilled to be along for the ride. Proud.

That energy matters. One enduring ugly coupledom theme is the man who shrinks or sulks in the shadow of a winning partner.

Travis is permanently cheering Taylor on like she’s about to run out on stage for the high school talent show, and he’s psyched for the high notes (and she’s equally in his corner.)

He’s the anti-Harry Styles – won’t be raiding Taylor’s wardrobe – or Tom Hiddleston – no discussing the metaphysical implications of his diet. Travis is the reliable goof who could pack an Esky and have Taylor’s back without looking like a possessive dick. The man who would excel at wrestling small children into suitable playground outfits and not stare at his phone while they’re on the slide.

Maybe this is my fantasy rather than theirs, but what really sells me is imagining Travis in full daddy daycare mode. I so hope they want kids.

You feel he’s the type who’d buckle his babies into a people mover while double-checking shoelaces and sippy cups. He’d know all their friends’ names and remember which kid hates cheese.

Meanwhile, Taylor would be the mum writing bedtime stories and insisting on table manners.

OK. This mental Pinterest board of domestic bliss needs to stop now. But bottom line, the romance is that in 2025 getting married is the most counter-intuitive, energy sapping gamble left.

Nobody can be arsed making their own food or losing their own weight, let alone committing endless energy to a lifelong relationship.

But here are Taylor and Travis, saying they’re risking it.

Marriage means betting your actual life you can talk to this one person forever. So you better be amusing and amused (and know even a hint of contempt kills everything).

If Taylor and Travis can keep talking, they might pull off modern society’s most radical play.

It’s the Hail Mary pass of love, and I’m here screaming from the sidelines: catch it, kids.

Kate Halfpenny is founder of Bad Mother Media. Her new book, Boogie Wonderland, is out now. Subscribers can buy a copy from Booktopia for the discounted price of $24.26 plus postage with the code WONDERLAND10. This offer is available until August 31.

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