Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s public relations firm reportedly called their lawyers after a fabricated document showing an exact date for his breakup with pop star Taylor Swift went viral.
The fake contract that appeared to be issued by the Los Angeles-based PR firm Full Scope kicked off a legal firestorm as fans argued on social media about whether or not Swift and Kelce are currently involved in a staged relationship.
Full Scope told Daily Mail that the document is “entirely false and fabricated and were not created, issued or authorized by this agency,” adding that they have called their lawyers.
“We have engaged our legal team to initiate proceedings against the individuals or entities responsible for the unlawful and injurious forgery of documents,” the public relations firm said.
The fabricated contract laid out a plan for Swift and Kelce to end their relationship on September 28, as well as a strategy on how to handle the reaction to their breakup.
The forged document included a plan to release a statement three days after the split in order to “allow the initial media frenzy to settle and ensure clarity,” and to send that press release to major media outlets “to ensure broad coverage.”
A “Respect and Privacy” section also highlighted the need to emphasize “that the breakup was a mutual decision made with respect for each other’s personal lives,” and subsequent media interviews focused on “Kelce’s recent sports achievements and future goals” while stressing “his respect for Taylor Swift and the mutual decision to part ways.”
🚨TAYLOR SWIFT - TRAVIS KELCE RELATIONSHIP IS STAGED? 🚨
— The Gas Stove (@TheGasStovee) September 3, 2024
A document bearing the letterhead of Travis Kelce’s PR firm is circulating online, indicating a contract that mentions the couple’s planned breakup on September 28. The text for the announcement has already been drafted.… pic.twitter.com/EFVgq5m0sf
Swift and Kelce were first confirmed to be in a relationship in September 2023. Public opinion has been mixed. Some have speculated that the two are not a match, while others believe that after years of searching, the pop star has finally found The One.
Interestingly, one of Kelce’s representatives is Jack Ketosyan, who has admitted to putting together “showmances” — a move in which celebrities stage a relationship to bolster their stardom or distract from bad publicity — Daily Mail pointed out.
In 2019, Ketosyan told Mamamia’s The Quicky podcast, “It’s just to be able to sell the hype of it, and to be able to sell tickets, whether it’s a concert, whether it’s an album — or getting people to go to see the movie. It’s all about the hype at the moment.”
Ketosyan cited one example in which he had a male client who had a movie coming out that was “getting a lot of bad reviews.”
“So we found him a girl, just a one year deal — it worked,” Ketosyan said, adding that the staged relationship would “take away from people asking him about how much of a flop the movie was and to asking him how their romance is.”
The Hollywood publicist went on to say that fake celebrity relationships are also used to make a less popular celebrity the most talked about person overnight by pairing them up with a high-profile star.
Ketosyan said this tactic typically involves pairing a high-profile male celebrity with a not-so-high-profile female celebrity, but noted that the roles can also be vice versa.
There is no confirmation that Swift and Kelce are in one of these “showmances.” Any suggestions that the couple is involved in one are mere speculation.
Currently, Swift is on break from her “Eras Tour,” having recently returned from Europe, with plans to resume concerts in Florida next month. Kelce, meanwhile, is preparing for another season with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.