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Unless you have some kind of pop culture embargo in place, the romance between Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been hard to miss. Swift’s sudden induction into the NFL sphere has also resulted in a lot of attention on her other relationships, too, including the blossoming friendship between Swift and fellow WAG Brittany Mahomes.

Brittany, the wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, has been increasingly spotted in Swift’s orbit, from shared game days to ritzy girls’ nights in New York City and beyond. Presumably, the stars first bonded over the experience of dating an NFL player, not to mention their shared dedication in supporting the Chiefs’ triumphant march to the 2024 Super Bowl. But as they spend more and more time together, fans have wondered whether the two are genuinely becoming fast friends.

While Swift and Brittany have been making waves with their well-publicized rapport, there are some signs that this friendship isn’t on completely solid ground. Examining the entire arc of their connection reveals some potential red flags that could undermine the future of their friendship.

Mahomes dissed Swift in old tweets
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Brittany Mahomes may be fond of Taylor Swift now, but it seems that hasn’t always been the case. Thanks to the tireless digging of die-hard Swifties, it’s come to light that Mahomes previously complained about Swift’s music and stardom on X, formerly known as Twitter. The posts, published in 2012 and 2013, were deleted immediately following the discovery, but they reportedly dissed Swift for “winning everything” and generally being overhyped. Perhaps more damning, Mahomes also shared a post stating, “Taylor Swift…I wanna know when your [sic] gonna find something different to write about besides boys and relationships.”

Neither woman has commented on the posts publicly, but intel suggests that Swift is less than thrilled. One anonymous source reportedly told Life & Style, “Taylor wasn’t happy. … She’s used to people saying nasty things about her, but this was someone she’s welcomed into her squad.”

The source added that Mahomes privately apologized and has been forgiven by Swift, but it’s hard to say whether any hurt feelings remain. Even the source speculates that Swift might be playing nice for her beau, who’s close to Mahomes’ husband. “Travis and Patrick are very tight, and Taylor’s not going to do anything that would put Travis in an awkward spot.” Only time will tell whether the two women are as close as ever or if this incident has put a crimp in their budding friendship.

Mahomes is rumored to feed details to tabloids
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Another red flag plaguing Swift and Mahomes is the rumor that Mahomes has been tipping off paparazzi and sharing information about their hangouts with the press. These allegations seem to stem from a now-expired Instagram story from celebrity gossip site Deuxmoi (via the Mirror). On December 12, 2023, one user answered the platform’s prompt “What are you guys talking about this week?” by saying, “Rumor is Brittany Mahomes went to tabloids after hangouts with Tay — Tay is cooling it now.”

Suggestions that Swift might be seeking some space were also shared on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand” radio show in Boston. In December 2023, a caller claimed to have insider information on both Swift’s schedule and her attitude toward Mahomes. Referring to the “Bad Blood” singer’s then-upcoming attendance at a Chiefs vs. Patriots game, the caller said, “One of the sources I have is saying [Taylor] doesn’t want to be with Brittany Mahomes. I don’t know why.”

Of course, it’s worth noting that these rumors haven’t progressed much. Whether or not Swift was privately feeling reluctant to socialize with Mahomes, the duo watched the aforementioned game together and outwardly appeared to have a great time. Since these claims, Swift and Mahomes have also been seen socializing on many occasions, including partying together on the Las Vegas Strip after the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win and grabbing dinner in New York City with other members of Swift’s inner circle.

Swifties keep taking aim at Mahomes
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The friendship between Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes has been a point of division among Swifties, many of whom seem less than excited that Mahomes is spending so much time with the “Shake It Off” singer. “Brittany Mahomes has breached the gates of the Taylor Swift social group. I really hate it here,” one person posted on X. Another user added, “Taylor Swift being friends with Brittany Mahomes is probably the worst thing she’s done in her career.”

Mahomes has also been accused of being a fame-seeker and trying to steal Swift’s style — assertions that weren’t helped by the suspicions that Mahomes wore Taylor’s Time Magazine dress to a bachelorette party. “Copying Taylor much,” one user commented on one of Mahomes’ Instagram posts, which shows the former pro soccer player wearing a chic black ensemble with thigh-high boots and a cream jacket.

Baseless or not, this constant criticism is sure to put a strain on both women. To complicate matters further, Swift is famously close with her fanbase. That doesn’t necessarily mean she’d take their skepticism of Mahomes to heart — after all, Tay Tay is a strong woman, and plenty of Swifties happily welcome Mahomes into their idol’s girl gang. Still, it’s always uncomfortable when there’s tension between important groups in your life, and the ongoing discord between Swift’s fans and Mahomes can’t be making things easier.

Getting close to Swift is affecting Mahomes’ other relationships
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Much of the strain facing the friendship between Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes seems to center around criticism of Mahomes. But we can’t overlook the idea that befriending a superstar like Swift is also rife with difficulties, even for someone already in the public eye. Case in point: It’s been suggested that Mahomes’ closeness with Swift has had a negative ripple effect on other relationships in her life, such as her long-time friendship with Kayla Nicole.

 

For those who don’t know, Kayla Nicole is Travis Kelce’s ex-girlfriend. The couple was on-again, off-again for roughly five years, during which she and Mahomes became dear friends. Nicole was even a bridesmaid at the Mahomes’ wedding and attended her close-knit bachelorette party.

However, it can’t be easy for Nicole to watch her bestie get cozy with Kelce’s new flame, especially since the Kelce-Swift coverage is nonstop. Sure enough, onlookers spotted potential proof of strife between Mahomes and Nicole in October 2023, mere weeks after Mahomes and Swift struck up a friendship. After Mahomes joined Swift and some other friends for dinner, Nicole reportedly unfollowed both Mahomes and her husband on Instagram. At the time of writing, Nicole’s Instagram still doesn’t follow the Mahomes’ accounts, suggesting that these once-close friends haven’t overcome the controversy of the fitness enthusiast getting buddy-buddy with Swift.

The friendship hasn’t had time to mature
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Celebrity relationships, both romantic and platonic, can be tough to maintain. Even stars who aren’t dealing with fierce fanbases and online backlash spend a lot of their time in the public eye, adding an extra layer of challenge to forging deep connections. And, as we can see from all the rumors and digging, the Taylor Swift-Brittany Mahomes friendship has been facing an uphill battle of criticism and pot-stirring since the beginning. This begs the question: Is this still-blossoming friendship strong enough to weather the storm?

In general, it can be difficult to forge deep adult friendships. Social researchers have studied how long it takes to build a close, lasting connection. One study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships suggests that it takes more than 200 hours to become true besties. This study estimates that, if you only spend time with a person once or twice per week, it takes more than a year to construct even a casual friendship — and up to five years to create a deep bond.

Swift and Mahomes were first spotted together in September 2023, which means that their relationship is still relatively young. That’s not a very long time, especially for a friendship that’s come under so much fire. This leaves everyone to speculate: If more pressure keeps being added to the tenuous bridge between the WAGs, their bond may not be strong enough yet to hold up under the weight.