A co-founder of a prestigious $8 billion asset management firm has alleged his dismissal occurred after he failed to adhere to a return-to-office requirement, a policy he had a hand in crafting.

William Nieporte, aged 57, partnered with high school companions Art DeGaetano and Stephen Selver to helm Bramshill Investments for nearly ten years before his ousting in 2022.

According to a termination letter revealed by the Wall Street Journal report, the company claimed Nieporte “willfully and deliberately refused to attend in-person work.”

The three founders had initiated the return-to-office directive just months prior, mandating that all “at-will” employees resume working in one of their three U.S. offices on a full-time, five-day-a-week schedule.

However, in a federal lawsuit accessed by the Daily Mail, Nieporte contends that as a co-owner, the directive should not have pertained to him.

Instead, Nieporte claimed, DeGaetano and Selver simply used the policy as an excuse to push him out of the company and ‘usurp’ his 12 percent stake. 

A provision in the operating agreement for Bramshill’s parent company, Ironmen, required shareholders to sell their interest in the company if they are fired for cause, according to the lawsuit. 

The lawsuit claimed that the human resources company Bramshill partnered with, ADP Total Source, helped DeGaetano and Selver make his ousting seem more legitimate by sending him the termination letter. 

Nieporte and DeGaetano founded Bramshill Investments back in 2012.

When Selver then joined the board two years later as a chief executive, he took a 40 percent stake in the company, while DeGaetano, who served as the chief investment officer, held a 48 percent stake in the company.

Nieporte, who served as the chief operating officer and chief compliance officer, held the remaining 12 percent stake.

For the first five years, it seems, the three men did not have any issues – and Nieporte was able to move from New Jersey to San Ramon, California in 2017 with his friends’ blessing.

But the problems started as the company grew more successful during the pandemic – from having approximately $3 billion under management to having over $4.5 billion in assets under management by 2022.

In 2021, the lawsuit states, DeGaetano and Selver sought to argue Nieporte’s wife’s efforts to divorce him triggered a clause in the Ironmen Operating Agreement known as the Divorce Clause.

Under the clause, the two other co-owners would be able to strip Nieporte of his rights as a manager, eliminate his voting rights and buyout his interests in the company if he were to get a divorce. 

However, Nieporte’s lawyers argue ‘the mere commencement of a divorce proceeding does not trigger the Divorce Clause,’ and that his wife never obtained legal title to any of his Membership Interests. 

Still, Nieporte received a letter on April 26, 2021 from his two high school friends who informed him: ‘Your Membership Interests in Ironmen… have been automatically converted into non-voting Membership Interests and your status as an active board member has now been suspended.

‘In addition, as a result of the Divorce, your Membership Interests are subject to being sold to the Company.’

Tensions then escalated again the following year, when the three men agreed to order employees back to one of the firm’s offices starting in April.

The executives gave the employees a deadline to report to one of its offices – in either New York City, Naples, Florida or Newport Beach, California – by July 5, though about half of the employees were granted additional flexibility.

‘You are all employees at will and can choose to abide by this mandate in the terms laid out above or not, read the memo signed by Nieporte, DeGaetano and Selver.

‘If you choose to not abide by the mandate, we will be offering severance packages.’ 

But Nieporte never believed the mandate applied to him, as he was a co-owner and not an ‘at-will’ employee.

‘In discussions they had in connection with the Company’s adoption of the employee policy, neither Art nor [Stephen] ever suggested that it might apply to Bill and Bill made clear he approved it only as to “employees,”‘ the lawsuit states. 

Soon, though, Selver and DeGaetano started arguing Nieporte had to move from the San Francisco Bay Area to southern California, where the Newport Beach office was located.

Then, after the deadline passed, DeGaetano wrote to Nieporte: ‘We have both junior and senior employees commuting over one hour each way to work, and yet you feel this policy doesn’t apply to you.’

DeGaetano then warned Nieporte had just 30 days to avoid further action. 

In a filing, Nieporte claims the notice was not delivered via fax, hand delivery, courier or certified mail and therefore was not valid.

Still, he approached DeGaetano later that month to discuss a buyout – and following that meeting DeGaetano allegedly asserted in an email that ‘all pending actions on either side will be put on hold.’

It was just days after that meeting, however, that Nieporte was fired, according to the complaint.

He now claims that ADP helped make his ouster seem more legitimate, even though the company ‘knew or should have known that as a Self-Employed Individual, whose rights were derived from one or more limited liability operating agreements, Bill could not be terminated at will.’

He alleged that representatives for the HR software company advised Selver and DeGaetano on how to go about firing him from the company and ‘blessed their decisions and conduct.

‘ADP supplied the corporate apparatus and the official termination notice that Art and Stephen needed to make their sham termination of Bill appear legitimate to the Company’s employees, investors, business partners and regulators,’ the lawsuit says.

‘Without ADP’s active and knowing participation, Art and Stephen could not have affected the sham termination of Bill through ADP’s payroll and human resources system on the cover of an ostensibly routine “at-will” termination,’ it continues.

‘By lending the authority and formality of a professional employer organization’s termination notice for Art’s and Stephen’s scheme, ADP provided critical cover for the unlawful purported termination and enabled Art and Stephen to present it as a legitimate, arms-length employment action rather than the inside breach of fiduciary duty it in fact was.’

The lawsuit goes on to claim Selver and DeGaetano stopped paying Nieporte his portions of the firm’s profits and converted his interest in Bramshill. 

Nieporte, who is now working for a start-up company remotely from his home in Nevada, is seeking at least $30 million in lost earnings, profits and the value of his 12 percent stake.

In addition, he seeks to be renamed the company’s chief compliance officer. 

But Allyce Hackmann, a spokeswoman for ADP, told the Wall Street Journal it would defend itself against Nieporte’s allegations and that the company is in compliance with applicable laws.

She noted that once the company’s clients make separation decisions and enter them into the software, an automated letter is generated.

Meanwhile, a representative for Bramshill said Nieporte’s claims were built on fabricated accusations and that it expects the legal process to affirm that neither it nor the co-owners engaged in any wrongful conduct.

Nieporte was terminated because of a dereliction of duty and isn’t entitled to the money he is seeking, the representative said. 

His attorney, Matthew J Press of Press Karol LLP, said the only duty Bramshill claims he neglected was his failure to return to the office – and such a policy doesn’t amount to valid excuse for termination under the company’s operating agreement. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to ADP and Bramshill Investments for comment. 

A recent vote by New Jersey officials has stirred up a mix of reactions as it clears the way for the redevelopment of a once-beloved amusement park.

Gillian’s Wonderland Pier in Ocean City, a treasured destination on the Jersey Shore, was a family favorite for decades.

The park’s origins date back to around 1930, when David Gillian established Gillian’s Fun Deck. Later, in 1965, Roy Gillian took over operations, rebranding it as Gillian’s Wonderland Pier.

Known for its iconic attractions like the carousel, monorail, and the towering 144-foot Giant Wheel, the park closed its doors in October 2024. This decision came amid escalating financial challenges, which included surging inflation, higher insurance costs, and increased operational expenses.

The amusement park also faced setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of Superstorm Sandy, both of which reportedly worsened its financial difficulties.

“I tried my best to sustain Wonderland for as long as possible, through increasingly difficult challenges each year,” Ocean City mayor and one-time Wonderland Pier owner Jay Gillian wrote in a letter posted to Facebook.

“It’s been my life, my legacy and my family. But it’s no longer a viable business.”

“It’s not going to be like it was every year we come down, something is taken away,” 72-year-old Pennsylvania resident KR Watkin told FOX 29 at the time.

“It’s surreal actually,” said employee Andrew Boyland. “I can’t believe this is happening. I’m upset about it but at the same time the amount of people that have come here ever since we announced we are closing is amazing.”

Icona Resorts owner Eustace Mita acquired the property in 2021. After the park closed, he proposed building a 252-room hotel on the site.

In a 5-2 vote recently, Ocean City councilmembers approved rezoning the site as “in need of rehabilitation,” thereby allowing the city to begin the redevelopment process.

The vote does not approve construction of the hotel itself, however. The next step in the process involves the city drafting a redevelopment plan outlining development standards before holding public hearings and seeking additional approvals.

Some residents said they are in favor of the hotel, arguing it will bring more visitors to the city that is home to roughly 11,000 year-round residents and regularly attracts more than 100,000 tourists per day during the summer.

Others expressed concern that the development would alter the boardwalk’s character.

Community advocacy group Ocean City 2050 criticized the vote in a statement, calling the council’s decision a “strategic blunder” that results in “a stronger hand for the developer, and a worse outcome for residents.”

The group announced it plans to join other groups in filing suit against the city challenging the rehabilitation designation.

“The council’s failure to meet the statutory requirements for rehabilitation, its arbitrary decision-making, its willful disregard of known financial conflicts and its breach of fiduciary duty to the citizens it serves” are reasons the group cited for the lawsuit.

Ocean City 2050 said it supports a recent subcommittee report that called for “using traditional planning tools, not rehabilitation designation, to address this site.”

The group said it would support a redevelopment plan that “enhances entertainment, respects the neighborhoods and protects our boardwalk’s iconic look and feel.”

Travis Kelce’s close companions have been celebrating a truly unique wedding as he tied the knot with Taylor Swift, though the occasion was marked by some tension within the group of friends.

Ross Travis, a former Kansas City Chiefs tight end like Kelce, shared several photos on Saturday showcasing friends from their Cleveland circle preparing to make their way to Madison Square Garden for the ceremony, which took place on Friday.

Ross made a statement by donning a burgundy suit, while most of Kelce’s other friends sported sharp attire in shades of black and navy blue.

“A night to remember with all the people you love,” Ross captioned one of his posts, while another collection of photos shared on Instagram was simply described as: “What a night!”

Among the attendees was Vince Garcia, Kelce’s trusted barber from the west coast, who traveled to New York City to ensure the groom looked his best for the occasion.

Garcia shared a mirror selfie in his suit and wrote: ‘Congrats T&T’. Chandler Parsons, the former NBA player who is now one of Kelce’s golf buddies, was also there with his wife, Haylee.

She shared an array of snaps from before the couple entered Madison Square Garden, where guests were reportedly asked to hand over their phones to help protect privacy on the power couple’s big day.

Trent McDuffie, Kelce’s former Kansas City Chiefs teammate who was traded to the Los Angeles Rams earlier this year, made it to the big day with his fiancée, Gabby Esposito.

‘The best night celebrating a beautiful love story, congrats T&T,’ she wrote on Instagram.

McDuffie himself would have welcomed the chance for a reunion with most – but pointedly, not all – of his former Chiefs teammates at MSG.

One Chiefs star missing from the big day was controversial kicker Harrison Butker who was not in attendance, with an NFL source claiming to the Daily Mail that it was because he was not invited to begin with.

The popular NFL analyst Rich Eisen was there for Kelce’s big day and, without naming names, confirmed that not every Chiefs player was there.

Responding to a comment on his Instagram post claiming Kelce only invited ‘a handful’ of his Chiefs teammates, Eisen replied: ‘Beyond false. Most Chiefs were there.’

He added of the guests: ‘Both sides of the ball and coaching staff and front office and FORMER teammates of Travis Kelce.’

The celebratory posts come amid some unrest behind the scenes with Kelce’s friends before the big day.

As Daily Mail reported on Thursday before the hugely anticipated rehearsal dinner that Kelce and Swift hosted at MSG, some of Kelce’s friends were a bit unhappy at the differing levels of their involvement.

But the morning after the night before, it seemed everyone was grateful to be among the 1,000 guests who were handed an invite.

When they officially became husband and wife in a ceremony officiated by Adam Sandler, the screens outside MSG announced: ‘JUST&T MARRIED’.

The happy couple, as of early Sunday evening, have not spoken out on their big day just yet. 

A significant development in China occurred when a well-known pastor from an underground church was freed from detention. This release came shortly after U.S. President Trump discussed the pastor’s plight during his visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The news spread on Saturday, confirmed by the pastor’s family and human rights advocates.

Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri has safely reached Los Angeles and has joyfully reunited with his loved ones, according to Frances Hui from the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, who shared the update on X.

In October, Jin, along with 17 leaders from the Zion Church, was detained during one of China’s most extensive crackdowns against a single religious group in many years. This action heightened global concerns about China’s ongoing suppression of religious freedoms.

Jin’s family, in a statement, described his release as unexpectedly swift, expressing their gratitude towards Trump. They acknowledged that such an outcome would have been unlikely without President Xi’s personal involvement.

“We are hopeful that this marks a new chapter for religious believers in China and for improved relations between our two countries,” the family expressed in their statement.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Jin’s case gained attention after Trump, on the way home from a state visit to Beijing in May, said he raised with Xi the detentions of both the pastor and that of imprisoned Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai.

“He said he’s gonna strongly consider the pastor,” Trump told reporters on his flight. But, he said, Xi told him that Lai’s case “would be a tough one.”

The 78-year-old Lai, a former clothing magnate and publisher of a Hong Kong tabloid critical of Beijing, received a 20-year sentence in February.

Activists welcomed Jin’s release but also remembered other church leaders still being held.

“At least 8 members of Zion Church remain detained in China,” Maya Wang from Human Rights Watch wrote on X. “They should all be freed.”

The Zion Church is among the largest underground or house churches in China that are unregistered with authorities. They defy a requirement that believers worship only in registered congregations.

The ruling Communist Party, which is officially atheist, views organized religion as a potential threat to its hold on power. Under Xi, Chinese authorities have pushed to “Sinicize” religion by demanding loyalty to the party.

“My father started Zion in order to worship freely in a church that put God as the sole head of our church, like many faithful Christians everywhere,” his daughter Grace Jin Drexel, who lives in the United States, told a congressional committee in November.

Jin brought his family to the US after authorities targeted Zion Church in 2018 but decided to go back despite the risks. His daughter said last fall that she hadn’t seen her father in six years.

An empire of unparalleled fame rests uneasily in the hands of heirs who harbor an intense dislike for each other. Tensions in the family now threaten the legacy of one of the world’s most iconic eyewear brands.

This turmoil centers on an Italian family whose vast wealth was secured by building the illustrious Ray-Ban brand. Today, they find themselves embroiled in a searing legal feud, desperately battling for control over the multi-billion-dollar dynasty.

While they present a united front at glitzy venues like Fashion Week and the Met Gala, behind the scenes, the family operates in a realm reminiscent of a television drama. Their fierce inheritance disputes have spilled from boardrooms into courtrooms, casting a shadow over their public image.

This saga traces its roots back to Leonardo Del Vecchio, who started as a tool-and-die apprentice in Milan before founding Luxottica in 1961. Through strategic acquisitions, including the purchase of Ray-Ban and Oakley, and fusing with a French lens manufacturer, he built EssilorLuxottica, the largest entity in the eyewear industry.

Leonardo Del Vecchio’s passing in June 2022 left behind not only a staggering fortune, valued at $25.5 billion, but also a volatile situation—an impending storm over his heirs that could not be avoided.

Rather than crown a single heir, he carved up his stake in the secretive holding company that controls EssilorLuxottica, handing each of his six children 12.5 percent and his widow, Nicoletta Zampillo, 68, a 25 percent stake. She signed half of hers over to Rocco Basilico, 36, her son from her first marriage, leaving an eight-way split. 

His six children are scattered across three relationships. Claudio, 69, Marisa, 67, and Paola, 65, came from his first marriage, to Luciana Nervo. Leonardo Maria, 31, is the son he had with second wife Zampillo. And Luca, 24, and Clemente, 21, are his sons with Sabina Grossi, his former head of investor relations. 

The eight shares of Delfin are worth an estimated $3.5 billion each. As of 2023, that makes Del Vecchio’s heirs billionaires, cementing their ranking among Italy’s richest residents.

When it came to the over $125 million in inheritance tax, however, weeks passed before a decision was reached within the family. 

The hefty inheritance tax, combined with the transfer of two homes owned by Delfin (worth about $87 million) to Zampillo, and the transfer of 2.15 million EssilorLuxottica shares (worth about $307 million) to CEO Francesco Milleri, plus 22,000 shares to manager Romolo Bardin, left the estate temporarily in limbo. 

In his will, Del Vecchio did not specify who would replace him as president of Delfin, according to Italian news agency Ansa.

‘This is a succession planning failure playing out in public,’ business expert Brad Sugars told the Daily Mail. ‘When founders don’t architect airtight governance before they’re gone, families fight the battle after – expensively and visibly.’

Del Vecchio’s heirs chose to accept the inheritance ‘with benefit of inventory,’ meaning all assets and debts were identified before they decided to keep or sell – a way for the recipients to look at an estate before accepting the potential financial risks that come with it.

The potential extra amount owed would’ve been around $45.5 million for each of the six children. But even with the inventory process finished, the heirs reportedly had not yet reached an agreement on how to divide everything by September 2023.  

At the time, Leonardo Maria told the Via Solferino newspaper, ‘If I think we haven’t yet managed to close the succession, I’m honestly ashamed.’ 

In early 2024, the family members neared a ‘new agreement’ on the management of Del Vecchio’s estate, according to Forbes Italy. 

Some heirs asked for changes to Delfin’s internal rules that would make a clear path for any shareholder who wants to sell some or all of their stake. The proposed rules set out when and how an heir could exit their investment, rather than leaving the process open to negotiation each time. 

Enter Leonardo Maria.

Leonardo Maria is the only remaining heir who works at the company.

He first joined in 2017, eventually becoming the president of Ray Ban, which EssilorLuxottica acquired for $640 million in 1999. 

Recently, he laid out a plan to become the majority shareholder in the parent company. The proposal focuses on buying out the combined 25 percent stake in Delfin held by his siblings Luca and Paola. 

If successful, the deal would triple Leonardo Maria’s holding from 12.5 percent to 37.5 percent, making him the majority shareholder and putting him firmly in control of his family’s empire.

But the transaction depends on whether he can secure the $11.5 billion in financing from UniCredit, BNP Paribas and Crédit Agricole, which he would then use to pay his siblings in exchange for their shares. 

Last month, Leonardo Maria’s half-brother Rocco challenged some of Delfin’s proposal in court in an attempt to block his sibling from becoming the majority shareholder. 

The half-brothers have since reached a provisional agreement. But in the aftermath, Leonardo Maria shared a statement saying his deal hasn’t been finalized because of ‘issues of sustainability and risk allocation.’

‘On 30 June, we will be addressing something much deeper: the very nature and future of Delfin,’ Leonardo Maria wrote in a letter, accusing Delfin’s leadership of failing to explain why concerns about his proposed buyout were raised only after shareholders approved parts of his deal.

The letter comes less than two weeks before Delfin’s upcoming shareholders’ meeting, scheduled for June 30.

And while Ray Ban may be the most recognizable consumer-facing brand, the real prize is Delfin’s industry-wide influence over EssilorLuxottica, Generali, UniCredit and Monte dei Paschi. 

The latter is one of the most important as the third largest Italian bank. Because Delfin is the majority shareholder, they have sway over curial mergers or acquisitions with competitors like Banco BPM or Intesa Sanpaolo.

Aside from making a splash in the business world, Leonardo Maria made headlines with his personal life by attending the Met Gala, Vogue Italia’s 60th anniversary dinner and other star-studded events in between. 

Leonardo Maria was also married to Anna Castellini Baldissera, having a wedding ceremony in June 2022 before divorcing six months later. 

The two, according to his Instagram account, actually married in September 2021 in the celebration hall of the Royal Palace in Milan. It is unclear why the couple split, according to Vanity Fair.

In July 2023, the heir and American Days of Our Lives star Jessica Serfaty, 35, got engaged.

The couple made a few public appearances – including on the Met Gala red carpet sporting Ray Bans – but Serfaty’s accusation of abuse on social media overshadowed the now-ended relationship. 

‘This is the man who has abused me,’ she said in a faltering voice, pointing the camera at Leonardo Maria. Shortly after, Serfaty posted a photo of herself posing in a bikini along with a statement withdrawing the allegation and defending her then-partner.

‘Leo and I apologize for any who were triggered or affected by yesterday’s story. Sometimes a family can have their own arguments and these should never be made public,’ it stated.

‘We ask that people respect our privacy at this time. I would never stay with an abusive man and which Leonardo Del Vecchio is not.

‘I revoke my words that were driven by anger and not in truth. I take back my words on a guy that will always be my companion, step father [to my child] and family person to me.’

Just weeks later, the couple called off their engagement.

Leonardo Maria was also caught in the middle of an investigation against a Milan-based private intelligence firm, Equalize.

Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore claimed prosecutors are investigating whether people connected to the Equalize intelligence network illegally gathered private information about Leonardo Maria and then used it to pressure or extort him. 

The heir said he was misled by Equalize into believing others were spying on him, while the same company was allegedly collecting information on him behind the scenes. 

The case suggests that some individuals who appeared to be clients of the surveillance operation may actually have been victims of it as well. As of June 2026, the Equalize investigation is still ongoing.

Now, Leonardo Maria is dating 22-year-old Polish content creator and model Kornelia Ski. The couple were spotted together at Cannes Film Festival, Art Basel Hong Kong and an event for Ray-Ban and Dolce & Gabbana.

Their relationship was first reported in early March 2026, shortly after they were spotted together at Milan Fashion Week. 

In April, the two posed with Scuderia Ferrari for the F1 Japanese Grand Prix.

Meanwhile, Rocco was one of only two Del Vecchio heirs who worked at the family business long term, acting as EssilorLuxottica’s chief wearables officer and head of luxury brands until December 2025.

‘After six years supporting our smart eyewear journey, Rocco has decided to pursue his personal interests outside of the company, effective in January 2026,’ EssilorLuxottica said in a statement at the time. 

‘He leaves at a time when our position as the category leader is well defined and when our talent pipeline, particularly in the wearables space, is very healthy.’

Zampillo currently serves as the president of the Fondazione Leonardo Del Vecchio, advancing education and eye care initiatives worldwide. 

Her first marriage to Del Vecchio lasted from 1997 to 2000, after they met through her father’s ties to Luxottica. Leonardo Maria was born in May 1995.

After their separation, the two married again in 2010 and remained together until Del Vecchio’s death. 

Prior to Zampillo, Del Vecchio was married to Luciana Nervo. They had three children together: Claudio, Mariso and Paola Del Vecchio.

He also had a relationship with Sabina Grossi, former Luxottica board member and the company’s former head of investor relations. Although they had two children together, Luca and Clemente, they never wed. 

Claudio, one of Del Vecchio’s oldest children, acted as the Luxottica CEO in the 1990s, leading the acquisition of LensCrafters in 1995. 

After leaving the company, he acquired the luxury clothing store Brooks Brothers in 2001. It filed for bankruptcy in September 2020 and was later acquired by Authentic Brands.

Del Vecchio’s remaining children keep somewhat of a low profile, even if several of them top Forbes’ list of wealthiest businesspeople. Clemente, became the youngest billionaire in the world at just 19 years old when his father died. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Ray-Ban for comment. 

On the very day that Taylor Swift tied the knot with Travis Kelce in New York City, news emerged of the passing of one of her former teachers.

Kirk Schwabe, who once taught Swift criminal justice at Hendersonville High School in Nashville and later took on the role of her security guard, succumbed to metastatic kidney cancer at the age of 69 last Friday, as confirmed by his family to The Telegraph.

Sarah Gordon, Schwabe’s daughter, disclosed on Thursday that her father’s condition had worsened significantly, leading to his transition to hospice care.

“In recent weeks, his health declined swiftly, prompting his move to hospice care,” Gordon shared on Facebook this past Thursday.

“Those who know my father understand that he devoted his heart to everything he did,” Sarah elaborated. “Teaching was his passion, and he cherished his students.”

Gordon posted a photo of Swift with her dad while holding a framed record plaque commemorating the release of her 2006 self-titled debut album, “Taylor Swift.”

Schwabe was a police officer in Chicago before he became a criminal justice educator and taught Swift from 2004 to 2006, while the “Opalite” singer was in her mid-teens.

Before his death, Schwabe said he believed his former student had found the right partner in Kelce.

“I do trust Taylor’s judgment. She knows what’s best,” he said in an interview with The Telegraph which was published on July 2.

Schwabe recalled telling Swift that her life was about to change as her career took off.

“I told her, you’re a superstar. This is not fun and games no more. You are it. Everything keeps going up and up and up, and the sky’s the limit for you,” he said.

While working as Swift’s security guard, Schwabe admitted he watched her rise to fame with “panic.”

“If anything happens, I’m the guy,” he said. “We got four or five hundred people in here, and I got some extra security guards, but I don’t know a lot of these guys who got hired, I don’t know what their qualifications are.”

“He treated her like he did his daughters,” his wife Jane added.

Schwabe later left his job as Swift’s security guard after becoming burned out, but remained fond of the singer.

When the pop star made a cameo in the 2010 film “Valentine’s Day,” her character’s teacher was named “Mr. Schwabe,” in reference to the beloved educator.

Swift and Kelce married in a star-studded ceremony at Madison Square Garden officiated by Adam Sandler on Friday.

Although Schwabe did not live to see the wedding, his family told the outlet he remained proud of Swift’s success and was happy for both her and Kelce ahead of the ceremony.

Swift’s aunt Robin Gentry revealed the couple “cried and they laughed and they danced and they hugged and they kissed,” adding there was “lots” of food and that guests were served cake.

Paul McCartney performed The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” for the couple, while Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks also took the stage. 

Signs outside MSG read “JUST&T MARRIED” to announce the news that the couple had made things official.