Music

Taylor Swift on Speculation She Turned Down Super Bowl: 'Jay-Z Has Always Been Very Good to Me'

"We’re always able to tell him the truth," Taylor said.

Taylor Swift in a red dress with red lipstick and earrings, posing on a red carpet.
Image via Getty/Frazer Harrison

Key Takeaways

  • Taylor Swift clarified that she did not turn down the Super Bowl Halftime Show due to a disagreement over performance footage ownership.
  • Swift stated that her team has a good relationship with Jay-Z's Roc Nation, which has been involved with the show since 2019.
  • She mentioned her focus on fiancé Travis Kelce's football career, describing it as a high-pressure sport.
  • Swift and Kelce announced their engagement in August, with Swift cheekily writing in an Instagram post, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”
  • Bad Bunny is set to perform at the next Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Taylor Swift has addressed speculation that she turned down the Super Bowl Halftime Show over a “performance footage” ownership disagreement.

As the Life of a Showgirl artist explained on Monday’s Tonight Show, this isn’t an accurate portrayal of the conversations her reps have had with Jay-Z’s team over the years. Jay’s Roc Nation, as fans know, has been behind the Super Bowl Halftime Show since 2019.

“No, no. Here’s the thing,” Taylor said when confirming the speculation was false. “Jay-Z has always been very good to me. Our teams are really close. They sometimes will call and say, ‘How does she feel about [this]?’ That’s not like an official offer. … We’re always able to tell him the truth which is that I am in love with a guy who does that sport on that actual field. That is violent chess. That is gladiators without swords. That is dangerous. The whole season, I am locked in on what that man is doing on the field.”

Swift continued, “Can you imagine if he’s out there every single week putting his life on the line doing this very dangerous, very high-pressure, high-intensity sport and I’m like, ‘I wonder what my [choreography] should be?’ … This is nothing to do with Travis. He would love for me to do it. I’m just too locked in.”

The Travis in question, of course, is Kansas City Chiefs player (and three-time Super Bowl champ) Travis Kelce. In August, the two announced their engagement, with Taylor cheekily writing in an Instagram post, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”

Next to take the Super Bowl stage is Bad Bunny, who recently revealed that he received the official confirmation from Jay while “in the middle of a workout.”

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