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Travis Kelce is facing criticism from Taylor Swift fans after appearing to endorse a controversial “Saturday Night Live” monologue by comedian Shane Gillis. The routine included a sexist joke about women wearing revealing workout clothes at the gym. Kelce, who is friendly with Gillis, drew backlash this week when screenshots circulated showing that he had liked an Instagram post featuring the viral monologue. A source close to the Kansas City Chiefs tight end said Kelce never intended to offend anyone.
“I haven’t been to the gym in so long, I didn’t know women just dress like wh**es now. Look, I’m sorry, there’s no other way to describe [it],” Gillis, who was fired from “SNL” over racist and homophobic slurs, joked during his opening remarks (via YouTube). He went on to describe neon workout shorts as “artificial bait-colored,” adding that “the wrinkles go around the cheeks and all combine at the butt***e.” Gillis then complained about being unable to look at the women because he was being filmed. “For real, don’t look, because they are filming. I’m in the background of 10 TikToks right now,” he said.
On X, disgusted Swifties called Kelce out for supporting Gillis’ sexist remarks, with one claiming, “Travis IS Gillis’ audience.” Another sadly lamented, “That man continues embarrassing [Taylor],” while a third Swiftie confessed that they weren’t surprised by the NFL star’s behavior, considering, “A lot of his tweets [resurfaced] since he started dating [her] […] They just ignored it.” However, a friend of the football player told Page Six that Kelce didn’t mean to cause any harm by liking the video, clarifying, “He’s always been a massive fan of the show and he was supporting a friend.”
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Fans questioned Kelce being friends with Gillis in the first place
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As the backlash grew, old clips of Gillis mocking Taylor Swift also resurfaced, prompting fans to question why Kelce remains friends with the comedian. Gillis, a prominent Philadelphia Eagles supporter, recalled Swift being booed at the 2025 Super Bowl during an appearance on “Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast,” saying, “That was, I’ll be honest, I was in the Eagles section for that. That was a fun boo. […] I thought it was very funny.” On “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Gillis also discussed his dislike of seeing Swift on screen, saying, “I can’t even watch it anymore cuz it cuts to her once or twice. And every time I see her, I go, ‘Motherf***er,’” (via YouTube).
As one user on X wrote, “I stand by my stance that Travis Kelce is not as good of a dude as people made me believe. Sorry not sorry but Taylor can do so much better than him.” Unfortunately, the “Cleveland!” hitmaker is also being dragged, with users digging up an old tweet in which Swift called out “Ginny & Georgia” and Netflix for making a sexist joke about her dating history. As of this writing, Kelce has remained mum, though it appears he may have unliked the post.
Meanwhile, celebrities such as “Schitt’s Creek” star Dan Levy have made their feelings about Gillis’ monologue crystal clear. “I’ve seen more men’s nipples at the gym than I’ve ever seen women showing their bodies off,” Levy argued on Instagram. “I’m speechless that something like that can exist on live national television. […] This is a not a women’s issue, this is an everybody issue.”