Travis Kelce Reportedly Bought a $6 Million Mansion 'For Privacy'

When Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift first became a headline item, sports fans and pop fans (sometimes in the same household) clashed over whether Swift put Kelce "on the map" or vice versa.

The joke grew so ubiquitous that a Swift fan at a Philadelphia Eagles home game, where Kelce was in attendance, gifted the Kansas City Chiefs star tight end a friendship bracelet that read "on the map." Kelce laughed and appeared to take the joke in stride.

But the reality of Swift's fame seems to have forced Kelce to take some significant measures in his private life. According to TMZ (later confirmed by Page 6), Kelce recently purchased a $6 million mansion in part because his old house was "far too accessible" and was "starting to become a tourist attraction." When Swift visited Kelce in Kansas City last week, TMZ reported that paparazzi waited outside his house to catch a glimpse of the couple, which helped convince Kelce to make a move.

Newsweek has reached out to Kelce's camp for comment via email on Thursday.

Kelce acknowledged that his fame was starting to skyrocket last month on an episode of the New Heights podcast, which he records with his brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce.

"I did this to [myself]. I know this," Travis joked.

Kelce is currently on a four-year deal worth $57.3 million with the Chiefs. Setting aside endorsements (and Kelce has plenty of them), he has made more than $77 million in total salary, per Spotrac.

The increased privacy of a gated community isn't the only benefit to Kelce's new house. Per TMZ, the massive home features six bathrooms, six baths and 16,000 square feet of living space. It also includes tennis and pickleball courts, a pool with an attached waterfall and a mini-golf course.

Kelce isn't the only Chiefs player to upgrade houses in recent months. In July, construction reportedly wrapped up on star quarterback Patrick Mahomes' new mansion, which was built on eight acres, starting in 2020.

But for Kelce, the need for additional space and security is a reminder that he's no longer just a professional athlete. He was a sports hero in Kansas City and a national name long before he started dating Swift, and he has amassed the kind of resume that puts him in the conversation for greatest tight end of all time (eight Pro Bowl appearances, four-time All-Pro and a two-time Super Bowl champion).

But Swift is an entirely different tier of celebrity, whose singular star power can sell out an entire nationwide tour within hours, causing problems for ticket vendors (Ticketmaster called the demand for her Eras Tour "historically unprecedented"). Swift's presence can draw a crowd even when she's just out for a meal.

Unfortunately for Kelce, Swift's stardom quite literally put his old house on the map. The backdrop of the next New Heights podcast might look a little different as a result.