Why Travis Kelce Didn't Join Taylor Swift at the 2024 MTV VMAs

Taylor Swift was without boyfriend Travis Kelce at the 2024 MTV VMAs in New York Sept. 11, where she is nominated for 12 awards.

By Jess Cohen, Olivia Evans Sep 12, 2024 12:11 AM
| Updated Sep 12, 2024 2:50 AM
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Watch: 2024 VMAs: Why Travis Kelce Didn’t Join Taylor Swift at the Awards Show

Taylor Swift left a blank space beside her on the 2024 MTV VMAs red carpet.

That's because her boyfriend Travis Kelce was not in attendance at the Sept. 11 award show, hosted by Megan Thee Stallion at UBS Arena in New York. (See all the stars on the VMAs red carpet here.)

Why? The NFL tight end was at practice with his Kansas City Chiefs teammates ahead of this weekend's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. But he still sent the "So High School" singer some love ahead of her big night.

"Hopefully, she can walk away with some Moonmen!" Travis said on the Sept. 11 episode of his and brother Jason Kelce's New Heights podcast. "Wishing everybody the best, though." 

At the 2024 VMAs, Taylor is nominated for 12 awards, including eight nods for her "Fortnight" collab with Post Malone. Meanwhile, Taylor is also up for Artist of the Year, Best Pop and two social categories.

The "Blank Space" artist, who's fresh off the European leg of her Eras Tour, has a break in her schedule until October, when her concerts resume in Miami. In the meantime, she's been cheering on Travis in Kansas City and enjoying date nights with the athlete in NYC.

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Indeed, it's been quite the year for the couple. Because before Travis was making cameos on the Eras Tour, he was rocking his day job, scoring his third Super Bowl win back in February. 

And his No. 1 cheerleader has been there every step of the way.

Noam Galai/Getty Images for MTV

"I'm going to see him do what he loves, we're showing up for each other, other people are there and we don't care," she told TIME in December. "The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you're seeing someone. And we're just proud of each other."

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

As for Travis, he's aware of the attention their relationship brings, but he's not going anywhere.

"The scrutiny she gets, how much she has a magnifying glass on her, every single day, paparazzi outside her house, outside every restaurant she goes to, after every flight she gets off, and she's just living, enjoying life," he told the Wall Street Journal in November. "When she acts like that I better not be the one acting all strange."

To see more stars at the 2024 VMAs, keep reading...

Addison Rae

In Miss Claire Sullivan

Taylor Swift

In Christian Dior

Megan Thee Stallion

In Nicole + Felicia

Katy Perry

In Who Decides War

Lil Nas X

Sabrina Carpenter

In vintage Bob Mackie

Megan Thee Stallion

Camila Cabello

In Tony Ward

Halle Bailey

In Sophie Couture

Chappell Roan

In Y/Project

Paris Hilton

In Celia Kritharioti

Shawn Mendes

In Dolce & Gabbana

Halsey

In vintage Versace

Miranda Lambert

Coco Jones

In Lever Couture and Jared Atelier jewelry

Lisa

In Mugler

Lenny Kravitz

Colton Haynes

Karol G

In Véronique Leroy

Anitta

In Dolce & Gabbana

Tinashe

In Rick Owens

Alessandra Ambosio

Rauw Alejandro

In Saint Laurent

Tyler Posey

Big Sean

GloRilla

Chanel West Coast

Lauren Sorrentino & Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino

Tyla

In Area 

Jordan Chiles

In Off-White

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