Taylor Swift has spoken out about the real reason that she turned down the Super Bowl as she continues to promote her new album.
The star returned to The Tonight Show on Monday, October 6, marking her first appearance on the show since her Midnights era in 2022.
The 35-year-old pop icon sat down with host Jimmy Fallon for a rapid-fire game of rumor-busting, and she truly put some things to bed.
Why Taylor Said No to the Super Bowl Halftime Show
Among the hottest topics on Fallon’s list: rumors that Swift had turned down the Super Bowl halftime show because she didn't want to deal with performance footage issues.
The answer? “No,” Swift said. She offered a more personal explanation.
“Here’s the thing,” she began. “Jay-Z has always been very good to me. Our teams are very close. They sometimes will call and say how does she feel about... and that’s not an official offer or a conference room conversation. 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.”
Swift described watching her fiancé, NFL star Travis Kelce, from the stands as emotionally intense. “That is violent chess,” she said. “That is gladiators without swords. That is dangerous. The whole season I am locked in on what that man is doing on the field.”
Then came the hypothetical: “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 choreo should be. I think we should do two verses of 'Shake It Off' into 'Blank Space' into 'Cruel Summer' would be great.'"
Swift was quick to clarify that Kelce would love to see her on the halftime stage. “This is nothing to do with Travis, he would love for me to do it. I'm just too locked in.”
The Truth About Selena Gomez’s Wedding and That “Altar” Comment
Another rumor Fallon brought up was whether Swift had joked to Selena Gomez on her wedding day, “Hey you beat me to the altar.” Swift’s response was a flat-out no.
"I got to see her be the most elegant, gorgeous — not only bride but just — vision that I've ever seen in my life. I've never seen anything so beautiful as her on her wedding day," Swift said of Gomez’s September 27 wedding to music producer Benny Blanco.
She also made it clear that she didn’t steal the spotlight.
“I did make a speech. But I actually made a point not to mention anything about my engagement. No one wants you to be like, 'Hey, I know this is your wedding day but—'” she joked, raising her hand as if to show off a ring.
“I was like, ‘Don’t mention it.’ Let me turn it around,” Swift added, pretending to adjust the ring to face away from the crowd.
Her Throwback Speech to Selena and the Fashion of 2008
Swift did share a glimpse into her wedding speech for Gomez, where she poked fun at their early friendship days.
“I did do some light teasing about the way we used to dress in the year 2008 — the year that we met,” she said.
“We met when we were teenagers in 2008. It was quite a year. It was the year of deep, deep V-necks. It was the year of aggressively colorful skinny jeans. Everyone was walking around saying that things were amazeballs.
“Selena — her favorite outfit back then was a very long tank top, skinny jeans, but a tiny little vest,” Swift recalled. “The smallest vest, and Chucks, and that was her uniform that year. Mine was I always looked like I was late for the cowboy-themed junior prom.”
She ended the speech by sharing how special it was to have been part of Gomez’s journey. “I talked a little bit about 2008, how happy I am for her, how it’s been beautiful to get to be a part of her life. But I did not make it about me.”
Why Ed Sheeran Found Out About Her Engagement Late
Fallon also asked about Swift’s engagement news - and why Ed Sheeran found out with the rest of the world. According to Swift, it wasn’t a snub - just bad tech timing.
"I have the perfect explanation. He doesn't have a phone! He doesn't have one that works," she explained. Swift said she had texted close friends about the news, but since Sheeran wasn’t in her recent messages, he missed the memo.
"When the news came out I was like oh my god we forgot to call Ed! Oh no! He's like family. I love him. But he doesn't have a phone."