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No, Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt didn’t ban Taylor Swift from games
Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has so far attended both of the Kansas City Chiefs’ games in the 2024 NFL season. But recent Facebook posts claim Swift won’t see her boyfriend and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce play the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 22.
"SHOCK: Kansas City Chiefs CEO bans Taylor Swift from attending games, calling her the team’s ‘biggest distraction’!" a Sept. 17 Facebook post said.
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)
A Chiefs spokesperson didn’t respond to PolitiFact’s questions about the post but we found no evidence to support its claim.
For months, self-described satire sites and social media accounts have posted fake news about supposed Swift bans. We fact-checked one such story taken out of context in June.
And this particular new claim about Swift and Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt has appeared on at least one Facebook page that notes "nothing on this page is real."
The Chiefs have issued no press releases about a Swift ban, and we found no public statements from Hunt saying as much.
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In August, Bloomberg News reported that Hunt said Swift had helped to boost the Chiefs’ fan base by 30%.
"I always want to point out how happy I am for Taylor and Travis in the relationship. I’ve seen them together and they make a … fantastic couple," Hunt said. At the same time, "the knock-on effect has been amazing, the growth in our female fan base has been amazing over the last year."
Hunt recalled that when Swift attended her first game, she didn’t want special treatment and preferred walking through the stadium’s front gates.
"Our security people were like, ‘Are you kidding me?’" Hunt told Bloomberg News. "She came to the game and completely lit up social media, every other kind (of) media."
In a Sept. 5 appearance on NBC’s "Today" show, Hunt echoed his pleasure in Swift and Kelce’s relationship, saying, "We have a whole lot more female fans now, specifically young female fans." He also said that he attended two Swift concerts at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium before the 2023 season began.
"What an incredible performer she is," Hunt said. "She’s absolutely amazing."
We rate claims he banned her from Chiefs games False.
Our Sources
Facebook post, Sept. 17, 2024
Facebook post, Sept. 18, 2024
PolitiFact, Satirical story about Candace Owens trying to ban Taylor Swift from the NFL spreads without context, June 25, 2024
NBC News, How Taylor Swift Became the Biggest Chiefs Fan - and Will She Be at Sunday Night Football?, Sept. 18, 2024
Kansas City Chiefs, Latest news, visited Set. 19, 2024
Bloomberg, Taylor Swift Spurred 30% Boost in Chiefs’ Fan Base, CEO Says, Aug. 14, 2024
Today, Kansas City Chiefs CEO on if Taylor Swift is drawing up team plays, Sept. 5, 2024
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No, Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt didn’t ban Taylor Swift from games
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