Taylor Swift is campaigning for her first Academy Award nomination as her husband, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, faces criticism following his team’s 28-24 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Swift attended an industry screening and Q&A for “Toy Story 5” at Disney’s Manhattan offices on Sunday, November 1, as she seeks recognition for her original song, “I Knew It, I Knew You.”
Page Six reported that Swift spent time speaking with attendees, signing autographs and taking photographs following the screening.
Meanwhile, Kelce addressed the Chiefs’ penalty problems after Kansas City lost a close game against its AFC West rival.
Taylor Swift’s Oscar Campaign Draws Criticism as Travis Kelce Faces Questions After Chiefs Loss
Swift’s latest appearance comes months after her work on “Toy Story 5” drew criticism from observers who questioned whether the song was part of a deliberate effort to secure an Academy Award.
At Sunday’s screening, attendees described a friendly interaction with the singer.
“She was just adorable with the little kids, hugging each of them,” a source told Page Six.
Another attendee said, “She stayed and talked to every single person and allowed selfies and signed autographs.”
New York writer Michael Musto also shared details of his interaction with Swift on Instagram.
“Around this time of year, it’s Oscar campaigning season and my life gets extra surreal. Today, I got to greet Taylor Swift and couldn’t shake-shake-shake-shake-shake off the experience,” Musto wrote.
He said Swift complimented his sweater and remembered meeting him previously, describing her as “sweeter than shoofly pie.”
Swift is seeking a Best Original Song nomination for “I Knew It, I Knew You.” The Academy will announce nominations on January 21, 2027.
Taylor Swift Reveals a ‘Weird’ Habit Travis Kelce Has to Put Up With
During the screening’s Q&A, Swift also discussed a longstanding tradition involving her childhood best friend, Abigail Anderson.
Swift revealed that she and Anderson, who have known each other since their teenage years, regularly imitate characters from the 2004 movie “Napoleon Dynamite.”
According to Page Six, Swift said they still talk in “Napoleon Dynamite” voices and that their husbands “have to put up with” the habit.
Travis Kelce Takes Responsibility After Chiefs’ Costly Mistakes Against Broncos
While Swift attended the screening, Kelce and the Chiefs lost 28-24 to the Denver Broncos.
Kansas City committed 11 penalties for 105 yards, including a false start on offensive lineman Jaylon Moore that wiped out a potential game-winning touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Rashee Rice.
Kelce, who has received a penalty in each of his last three games, acknowledged his responsibility for the team’s mistakes.
According to The Athletic’s Jesse Newell, Kelce briefly stepped away from reporters gathered near his locker before returning with visibly red eyes.
“It’s frustrating,” Kelce said. “You just can’t (expletive) do it, excuse my language. I’ve got to be better for my teammates, and that sets the tone for a lot of people in this room. Everybody’s just gotta up the ante from that.”
The tight end also addressed how the Chiefs should respond to the loss.
“You’ve got to find the positives out of this,” Kelce said. “You can’t dwell on it. They’re a pretty good football team… We showed some fight, a lot of fight. And I can take that out of this.”
Mahomes acknowledged the importance of the divisional matchup during his postgame press conference.
“Obviously, it was a big game. I’m not going to hide from that. But, now you’re in a dogfight for the division,” Mahomes told reporters.
Kansas City will attempt to rebound when it hosts the New York Jets at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 9.
Taylor Swift’s Oscar Ambitions Take Center Stage as Travis Kelce Addresses Costly Chiefs Mistakes