As one of, if not the most famous woman in the world, everything Taylor Swift does warrants endless speculation and analysis. She cannot so much as go for dinner, wear a new pattern or a baggy jumper without it being dubbed ‘an Easter egg’ for loyal fans.

Now that Swift is enjoying a well-earned break after her award-winning, record-breaking Eras Tour, which wrapped after almost two years in December 2024, the internet is regularly riddled with rumours that she is either pregnant, engaged or secretly married to her boyfriend Travis Kelce.

Despite Swift’s aforementioned astronomical fame, as two 35-year-olds without children, these rumours are actually something that makes Swift and Kelce incredibly relatable. Anyone in that age bracket knows what it feels like to be bombarded with questions about wedding bells and biological clocks, and Swift and Kelce are no different. They might have only started dating in September 2023, but the world seems to think it’s time they walk down the aisle and start a motley crew of multi-talented babies.

The latest viral ‘sign’ that Swift and Kelce secretly got married has, of course, been refuted. A wedding planner for Chicago Bears player Cole Kmet and Ellie Nottoli’s wedding, @elliestyled, shared that ‘Taylor and Travis Kelce’ were on the guest list in a post on social media. The event planning team shared a video of the table settings and panned over flowers and personalised envelopes, including one for ‘table 13’, Swift’s favourite number, which read ‘Taylor and Travis Kelce’.

Naturally, this sent Swift’s fans into a tailspin. One quickly asked, ‘Should I say congratulations?’ Another commented, ‘They got married?’ However, a third was quick to burst their bubble by replying, ‘that’s usually standard for weddings I believe.’ In even more devastating news for ‘Traylor’ stans, another eagle-eyed fan noticed that Swift and Kelce were at a different wedding altogether, and the video was used for promotional purposes.

Instead, Swift and Kelce attended the NFL star’s cousin’s nuptials in Knoxville,  Tennessee, with several guests sharing pictures of the happy couple on social media. There were no ‘Mrs Kelce’ badges in sight – at least not on Swift’s blue dress.

It’s not as though marriage is out of the question, though, or that the couple are not planning their next steps privately. Last month, an insider told the Daily Mail that Kelce is still focusing on football for the time being, but marriage is a top priority once his final NFL season ends. ‘Once he is done playing [football], the conversation will be front and centre,’ they said.

‘Everyone is just waiting for Travis to ask her parents for her hand in marriage, her parents will say “yes”, and they can’t wait for them to get engaged. Nothing seems to be imminent, but it will 100 percent happen.’  

To put Swift’s ability to go viral simply for existing (or attending someone else’s wedding) into perspective, the above ‘evidence’ and ‘clues’ have been described as ‘wild’ and ‘compelling’ and ‘a clear sign’ their own wedding isn’t far off. If you type in ‘will Travis propose’ into Google, the recommended next words are ‘to Taylor’, ‘to Taylor on her birthday’, ‘at the super bowl’ and, simply, ‘soon’. All of which is to say there are millions of feverish fans around the world – fans who famously cause seismic activity at Swift’s concerts and are loyal enough to put her re-recorded albums to the top of the charts – eagerly awaiting the news that she’s got a ring on her finger.

For one, Swift’s birthday is not until 13 December, so let’s at least let them enjoy the summer. Then there’s the fact Kelce is still playing for the Kansas City Chiefs and the team’s next NFL season, which Kelce has said will be his last, kicks off in Sao Paulo in September. It will see him booked and busy until the next super bowl in February – if the team even gets there.

At this point, it feels like we’re finger wagging a nosey aunt at Christmas, but it’s more than possible that Swift and Kelce are simply enjoying a shared break in their hectic schedules. Every time they are pictured out for dinner or even popping into a local shop, their body language is analysed, photographers zoom in on Swift’s hands and TikTok detectives dissect whether Swift might be hiding a secret baby bump.

This is milestone pestering on an unfathomable scale. Fortunately for Swift, who has been famous for 20 years, this is nothing new. She is more than cognisant of her influence and her army of doting, if not occasionally intrusive, fans. But wouldn’t it be ironic if Swift, who has recently taken great pains to reclaim her narrative, rerecord her music and buy back her masters, had some of her biggest personal announcements hijacked by prying fans on social media?

Let’s trust that Swift will make a moment of her and Kelce’s news if, as and when they want to. She might be a household name and an icon to many, but Swift is also just a woman in her 30s in a relatively new relationship, attempting to navigate a career break without endless speculation about marriage and babies. If you or anyone you know in similar circumstances find that sort of thing annoying – chances are she does to.