LOVE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

All eyes are on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce as they continue to revel in their public romance - and make big plans for their future together

- JAIME HARKIN

Travis Kelce didn’t accompany girlfriend Taylor Swift to the MTV VMAs on Sept. 11, but she made sure his presence was felt when she took home a Moon Man — her seventh of the night — for Video of the Year for her song “Fortnight.” After thanking her collaborators, including Post Malone, Swift turned the focus to Kelce, saying she’ll never forget how he cheered her on between takes on the set. “Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic,” she said as the crowd cheered excitedly. “So I want to thank him for adding that to our shoot because I will always remember that.” The sweet shout-out came on the heels of a whirlwind — and highly visible — week for the pair. On Sept. 8, their PDA lovefest stole the show at the U.S. Open, where they kissed, danced and at one point passionately sang the 2003 Darkness song “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” to each other. In the days prior, they hit up Brooklyn hotspot Lucali and attended the wedding of model Karen Elson at Electric Lady Studios. The outings — along with Swift’s gushing VMAs acceptance speech — quickly helped dispel rumors that the couple have been faking their relationship for PR purposes. On Sept. 2, phony documents outlining a media breakup plan for Kelce and Swift went viral; Kelce’s PR firm, Full Scope, threatened to take legal action over the “false and fabricated” papers, which bore the company’s logo.

It’s become clear that the romance between the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and the Grammy-winning singer is as real as it gets, and their connection has only gotten stronger amid public scrutiny and the challenges that come with high-profile, high-pressure careers. “They’ve built a lot of trust. They both knew what they signed up for and navigated it well,” says a source. “They’re in love and don’t care what others think.”