The former NBA star takes to his CNN show to slam haters who claim that the pop superstar's appearances at the Chiefs games in support of her boyfriend Travis Kelce 'ruined' football.
- February 2, 2024
AceShowbiz - Charles Barkley is coming to Taylor Swift's defense. The retired professional basketball player has a message for those complaining about the singer/songwriter's appearance at NFL games since she began dating Travis Kelce, calling them "loser and jacka**."
The 60-year-old made use of his CNN show "King Charles" on Wednesday, January 31 to slam the haters. "If you're screaming at T-Swift saying she ruined [football], you're just a loser," he said. "You're just a loser or a jacka**." The former NBA star added, "You can be A or B. One of the two."
Sports commentator Bob Costas, who appeared as a guest in the episode, also weighed in on the matter, crediting the global pop star for bringing a whole new audience to football since going public with her relationship with Travis. Charles' co-host Gayle King agreed, noting, "Look at all the new people she's brought to the NFL. You see young teen girls who are now watching football for the first time."
Bob further speculated that Taylor's presence at Super Bowl LVIII could even increase the viewership number of the big sports event when the Kansas City Chiefs faces against the San Francisco 49ers on February 11.
Taylor has made a regular appearance at the Chiefs game since she went public with her relationship with Travis last year. The Grammy winner previously responded to backlash over her stealing the spotlight at NFL games. "I don't know how they know what suite I'm in," she told TIME magazine last year. "There's a camera, like, a half-mile away, and you don't know where it is, and you have no idea when the camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don't know if I'm being shown 17 times or once."
The "Shake It Off" hitmaker claimed that she's "just there to support Travis and his team." She went on stressing, "I have no awareness of if I'm being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads."
The 34-year-old superstar is expected to attend the Super Bowl despite having a show in Japan the night before. "It's a brutal flight," a source told Page Six of a 13-hour trek that she will take to make it in time for the big game, "but she'll get on her plane right after the concert."
