Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement is real, but the couple is often targeted by false claims
Pop superstar Taylor Swift has been falsely accused of a laundry list of absurdities: Doing “satanic rituals” at her shows. Being a government “psyop.” But this time, the news about her is true: She’s engaged to be married.
Swift posted a series of photos on Instagram Aug. 26, showing her engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who is also no stranger to being targeted by misinformation. Even Kelce’s father, Ed, has occasionally fallen for false headlines about the couple.
We looked back at their love story through the lens of claims that would’ve, could’ve, should’ve been true, but weren’t.
Related Knowledge Center: Fact-checking and its detractors
Fact-checking has become a familiar tool for political reporters to hold office-holders and candidates accountable. But critics ask if fact-checkers sometimes miss the forest for the trees, and if the practice often struggles with false equivalency the way conventional political coverage does.