Related: Travis Kelce Isn’t the Only Taylor Swift Fan in the NFL: Football Swifties
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Many professional athletes do not agree with the “dads, Brads and Chads” hating on Taylor Swift’s attendance at NFL games.
Swift has been a fixture at boyfriend Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs games since September 2023, with the NFL occasionally showing her on the Jumbotron and on the broadcast when Kelce has a big play. The coverage outraged some diehard football supporters, lamenting that Swift is prioritized onscreen over the actual game. Swift and Kelce, meanwhile, haven’t let the haters faze them (and reports have confirmed the league has toned down how often they show the pop star).
“I don’t know how they know what suite I’m in. 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,” Swift told TIME in a December 2023 profile. “I’m just there to support Travis. I have no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads and Chads.”
Kelce later marveled at how his “amazing” girlfriend handled the backlash. “I’ll say this, they showed Taylor at the game and you don’t see an entire home team fanbase go insane for somebody wearing the opposite team’s colors,” he said during an episode of his “New Heights” podcast that month. “Just shows you how amazing that girl is.”
He added at the time, “They went absolutely insane when they showed Taylor on the screen. … Might have been a few Brads and Chads that were booing, but for the most part, everybody was f—king screaming at Taylor.”
Swift and Kelce, a tight end for the Chiefs since 2013, aren’t the only ones in favor of her game day attendance. Keep scrolling to see what the stars have said in defense of Swift joining Chiefs Kingdom:
Mahomes, the Chiefs starting quarterback, is a close friend of Kelce’s and doesn’t see Swift as a game day distraction.
“I don’t think it feels any different. People see the whole Taylor Swift and Travis [thing] and they make it a huge deal because it is a huge deal,” Mahomes said in an ESPN sit-down in November 2023. “I think it becomes a bigger deal to the fanbases than it does to the guys who are actually in the building. … I think you can understand why it’s not become a distraction or anything like that because everybody cares about being the best they can be every day.”
Travis’ older brother, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, is all-in on the NFL’s coverage of Swift since she’s an “unbelievable role model.”
“The attention’s there because the audience wants to see it. If people didn’t want to see it, they wouldn’t be showing it, I know that,” Jason quipped during an interview with Cincinnati’s ABC affiliate WCPO 9 in February 2024. “She’s a world star and the quintessential artist right now in the world.”
He continued: “[She’s] immensely talented, an unbelievable role model for young women across the globe, so I think that the NFL would probably be foolish not to show her and show her be a role model for all the young girls out there.”
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The retired football star confessed to Us Weekly that he “can’t understand” why football fans have been “so upset” about Swift supporting Kelce’s career.
“I mean, they show celebrities at games all the time. Don’t act like we don’t show male celebrities at games all the time,” he exclusively told Us in January 2024. “I don’t really understand why it’s caused such an uproar. I mean, she’s literally there supporting her significant other, and that’s what you should do as a significant other.”
“They lose a game, [some will say] it’s because of her. And they win a game, [some will ask], ‘Why [are] the cameras on her?’ But I like it,” Sharpe, a retired tight end, exclusively told Us in January 2024. “I like it for him. I like her being at the game. She brings a different set of eyeballs to the game. There are a lot of young girls and women that are watching the NFL football that could care less about that. And so the NFL’s, like, ‘Hey, if we get new eyeballs, we get new customers, we’re onboard.’”
The retired Miami Dolphins quarterback told Us in January 2024 that Swift “hasn’t affected any games” from her perch in the stadium crowd.
“She might as well have fun and enjoy it while she’s dating one of the stars in the NFL. And what’s wrong with that? Nothing,” Marino quipped.
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins also sees Swift’s presence as a “positive for the league” despite certain fans booing her whenever the Chiefs lost a game.
“I mean, fans are going to be fans [and] maybe they blame her,” Cousins told Us in January 2024. “I don’t know if the blame is well placed, but I think a lot of the games she’s attended, they played really well and they won.”
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“If you’re screaming at Taylor Swift saying she ruined [football], you’re just a loser,” the retired NBA All Star quipped during a February 2024 episode of his King Charles show. “You’re just a loser or a jackass. You’re either A or B. You’re one of the two.”
“They’ve got really, really something going and we enjoy having her at our games,” the Chiefs linebacker said on the “Zach Gelb Show” in January 2024. “It brings a lot of energy and a lot of fun to our fans. And so that’s good for business, good for football and good for the NFL.”
The retired Chiefs running back stressed to TMZ Sports in December 2023 that Swift has “nothing to do” with the team’s game record.
“Taylor Swift is not on the field. Travis is playing like he always plays,” Okoye said. “Teams are just doubling up on him now knowing that our receivers are dropping the balls. When you’re doing bad, people have to find excuses and they have to point fingers. Especially those who don’t like the situation about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.”
After news broke that Kelce was planning to spend his November 2023 bye week in Argentina to see Swift on her Eras Tour, the former Giants quarterback defended the vacation.
“I think the bye week is a great time to get away from football and I think that’s the idea,” Manning told People at the time. “It is the time to rest the body, rest the mind a little bit, recharge yourself to get ready for that second half of the season.”
He continued, “I think for him to travel, there’s nothing wrong with traveling, going somewhere. Hey, if he wants to go and support his girlfriend and see her play a concert, I’ve got no problem with that.”
The retired linebacker dismissed the backlash during a February 2024 interview with Page Six.
“I’m not down with the negative energy. I’m loving all of what they’re doing. I’m here for it,” Banks said. “[Their relationship] is one of the great moments of this NFL season and anybody that’s got a problem with it, they need to cope harder. If you can show my good friend Spike Lee at every Knicks game and every opponent’s game, then why not Taylor?”
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The sportscaster has become one of the most vocal members of Tayvis Nation (the fan-appointed nickname for Swift and Kelce’s supporters) — and frequently defends the Grammy winner’s game day outings.
“I have to take a moment to come to the defense of Taylor Swift,” Smith said during a January 2024 ESPN broadcast. “Everybody’s sitting up there and acting like she’s some kind of impediment. … She’s going to support her dude. To show up at a football game and the cameras are on her — that ain’t her fault! And excuse me, by the way, she went to the games after the concerts. It’s not like she used the games to bump up the concerts.”
Cowherd went on an impassioned rant about the “really weird, lonely, insecure men” hating on Swift’s NFL presence during a January 2024 episode of his The Herd radio show.
“The fact that a pop star — the world’s biggest pop star — [is] dating a star tight end, who had one of his greatest games ever, and the network puts them on the air briefly, that bothers you. What does that say about your life?” Cowherd, a sportscaster, quipped. “Did you know, statistically, in a three-hour NFL broadcast … just 18 minutes are actual football, and we have the data, you don’t turn away. There’s coach cutaways, they show fans in Buffalo on fire, commercials, reviews. [It’s] 18 minutes of real football, [which] for the record [is] about the length of five Taylor Swift songs.”
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Duncan, an ESPN commentator, also called out the double standard during a December 2023 episode of her“Elle Duncan Show” podcast.
“It is not her fault. I am so tired of us doing this. And we do this to women,” Duncan lamented. “It’s Jessica Simpson’s fault [that] Tony Romo spit the bit. Remember Kim Kardashian and Miles Austin for a hot second? It’s her fault. It’s always the woman’s fault for ‘distracting.’ Nobody’s asking if Travis Kelce is distracting her from a world tour. No one’s saying that. And I don’t like that.”
Getty Images (3) Many professional athletes do not agree with the “dads, Brads and Chads” hating on Taylor Swift’s attendance at NFL games. Swift has been a fixture at boyfriend Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs games since September 2023, with the NFL occasionally showing her on the Jumbotron and on the broadcast when Kelce has
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AfriqueFest: Pan-African Musical Experience — World Cup Edition is set to take over Noto Houston on Sunday, June 28, bringing together East, South, and West African sounds in one immersive celebration of music, culture, and connection. Presented by Experience Noir and Bolanle Media, the event is designed as a cinematic night for the culture, blending global energy with Houston nightlife in a way that feels elevated, intentional, and deeply rooted in African creativity.

At the heart of this year’s experience is DJ Shinski. Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya and now based in Houston, DJ Shinski has built an international name off high-energy sets that move effortlessly across Afrobeats, Amapiano, hip‑hop, dancehall, reggae, and electronic sounds.
He has also become Africa’s most‑subscribed DJ on YouTube, crossing the 2‑million‑subscriber mark and turning his mixes into a global destination for music lovers.
DJ Shinski’s style is precise but unpredictable: one moment it’s classic Afrobeats, the next it’s East African anthems, then a run of throwback hip‑hop or R&B that still feels fresh. That ability to read a room and connect multiple worlds in a single set is exactly why AfriqueFest is building so much of the night’s energy around him.
At AfriqueFest, DJ Shinski helps drive the Safari Grooves segment, representing East and Central Africa from 4 PM to 6 PM. Expect a journey that moves from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam, Kampala, Addis, and beyond, all filtered through his signature “vibes on vibes” approach behind the decks.
Supporting that energy, DJ Tunez leads the Gold Coast Beats chapter from 8 PM to 10 PM, bringing his own Nigerian‑American Afrobeats pedigree to the stage. Together with the Diamond Rhythms segment (South) and a curated roster of DJs, the night stretches across the continent in three distinct musical chapters, all connected by a single dance floor.
Hosted by @chris_gone_crazy, @kingdrewwskyy, @roselynomaka, and @samsnewleaf, AfriqueFest is positioned as more than a party—it’s a celebration of sound, style, and Pan‑African identity in Houston, with DJ Shinski anchoring the experience from the moment doors open.
Brought to you by Bolanle Media and Experience Noir, this World Cup edition of AfriqueFest is crafted as a night where global DJs, storytellers, and music lovers collide and create a shared cultural memory. With DJ Shinski front and center—and DJ Tunez helping close the night—guests can expect a show that reflects both the future of African nightlife and the power of the diaspora to create unforgettable live moments.
If you want to experience DJ Shinski live at AfriqueFest, now is the time to lock in your spot. Purchase your tickets now at AfriqueFest.com and get ready for a night of music, movement, and culture at Noto Houston.

A bold new sketch comedy series for women premieres June 13 across the U.S., U.K., and Canada — arriving on the back of a festival-winning run that has critics and audiences already paying attention.
It isn’t every day a brand-new comedy arrives already wearing a row of trophies. Our Ladies Show does. The seven-episode inspirational sketch comedy series — created, written by, and starring Christin Jezak — begins streaming on The Roku Channel on Friday, June 13, 2026, available free to viewers in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.
Produced in partnership with global media services leader Encompass Digital Media, the series sets out to do something rare in today’s streaming landscape: make women laugh out loud and leave them lifted. In a media moment crowded with noise and cynicism, Our Ladies Show is a deliberate counterweight — comedy with a conscience, built for women of every age and background.

Each of the seven episodes opens with a monologue from one of the cast members introducing the theme, then rolls into three or more sketches that hit the subject from every comedic angle. The series tackles the things women actually carry: holding grudges, comparison, beauty, patience, gift giving, the importance of community, and dealing with anxiety.
The comedy comes from a place of warmth rather than mockery — a “laugh at ourselves” spirit that runs through a gallery of unforgettable characters: a nosey neighbor, an overwhelmed mom, relentlessly optimistic flight attendants, beauty pageant winners past their prime, and a crew of unruly campers with a counselor who simply cannot hold it together.
Then the show does something most sketch series don’t. In the final segment of every episode, the cast gathers in a living-room setting and invites the audience in — sharing real inspiration drawn from the theme, the sketches, and their own personal stories. It’s the moment the laughter turns into something that stays with you.

Our Ladies Show brings together three performers with serious range:
“In a world with so much division and depression, I hope women of all ages and backgrounds will watch this show, laugh, be reminded of how beautiful, unique, and loved they are, and remember how much we need each other.”— Christin Jezak, Creator & Star
The series’ recurring long-form sketch, Neighborhood Watch, didn’t arrive quietly. Originally released as a web series and revamped for Our Ladies Show with new footage, sound, and music, it has been sweeping the festival circuit:
Our Ladies Show premieres Friday, June 13, 2026, streaming on The Roku Channel — the home of premium and free entertainment — in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. All seven episodes deliver the series’ signature blend of sharp sketch comedy and genuine encouragement.

Watch the trailer now on your platform of choice:
For more information, visit www.ourladiesshow.com and follow @ourladiesshow on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Christin Jezak has worked for over 15 years in the entertainment industry. She created and stars in Our Ladies Show and the award-winning web series Neighborhood Watch. She produced the EWTN TV program For the Sake of the Gospel and the all-women web series Ladies Keepin’ It Real, played Dr. Sam in Miracle at Manchester (starring Dean Cain, Daniel Roebuck, and Eddie McClintock), and voices Agnes in the podcast Confessions of a Catholic Single. She held a lead role in a short film for NTT Data directed by Academy Award–winning cinematographer Janusz Kamiński, has co-starred on Raising Hope, and appeared in Jimmy Kimmel sketches and a Grubhub Super Bowl commercial.

Roku pioneered streaming on TV and is the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico by hours streamed (Hypothesis Group, Dec. 2025). The Roku Channel is the home of premium and free entertainment, alongside Roku’s Howdy and Frndly TV services. Roku is headquartered in San Jose, California.
Encompass Digital Media is a global managed services company — technology-driven, software-defined, and people-powered. Trusted by world-leading broadcasters, networks, sports rights-holders, and OTT platforms, it processes over 25,000 hours of content daily, serves 850 channels to 84 countries, distributes over 243,000 live events annually, and reaches 400 million radio listeners weekly worldwide. Learn more at www.encompass.tv.
Media & Interview Requests: To interview creator Christin Jezak or the cast, contact Christin at cjezak@p2ptheatre.com.

Most of the talk about Euphoria asks one question: was it realistic? That’s the wrong question if you make films. The better one is simpler. How did Sam Levinson get an audience to feel addiction from the inside? And what did it cost him to end the show the way he did?
Strip away the noise and Euphoria is a clinic in three choices: point of view, style, and the ending. Here’s what’s worth taking — and what isn’t.

Most shows about drugs watch from across the room. Euphoria doesn’t. When Rue is high, the camera is high too. Walls breathe. Floors tilt. Time skips. You’re not watching her — you’re stuck inside her head.
That’s the lesson: point of view is a decision you make with the camera and the cut, not a mood you add later in color. Levinson builds it into the lens, the blocking, and the edit.
So before you shoot a scene through a character’s eyes, ask one thing on set: whose eyes is this lens standing in for? Then make every cut respect that.
The glitter. The slow push-ins. The impossible club lighting. Euphoria‘s look got copied everywhere. That’s the trap.
The style worked because it carried weight. The beauty wasn’t decoration — it was the lie addiction tells you, the reason the next high looks worth it. The camera made self-destruction gorgeous on purpose.
The copies missed that. A thousand music videos took the look and left the meaning behind, and you can feel how hollow they are. So here’s the test: if your signature style could be swapped onto any other project and still “work,” it’s not a style. It’s a filter. Every choice should have a reason behind it.
When Euphoria ended for good in Season 3, Levinson killed Rue — an accidental, fentanyl-laced overdose. He called it “the honest ending,” saying he wanted to tell a true story about addiction and grief in a time when one mistake can be the last one. Reportedly, that wasn’t the original plan; the death of Angus Cloud, who played Fezco, changed the script.
Forget whether you agree with the choice. Study how it works. An ending is the last instruction you give your audience about how to read everything before it.
By ending on consequence instead of recovery, Levinson reframed seven years of beautiful chaos as a story about cost — not a celebration of it.
It’s also the show’s most debatable move, and that’s worth noticing too. A show that spent years making pain look beautiful had to fight to make that pain land as loss. Did it earn the ending, or enjoy the wreckage too long to stick it? Smart filmmakers will disagree — and that argument is exactly what a good ending is supposed to start.

The neon grief is the most copied part. It’s also the least useful. Take the surface — the colors, the slow-mo, the trauma-as-texture — and you get the costume without the body.
The real craft is underneath. Commit your camera to a real point of view. Make every stylistic choice earn its place. Treat your ending as the point of the whole thing. Do that, and your work won’t look like Euphoria. It’ll do what Euphoria did.
This piece touches on addiction and substance use. If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available through the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.

STREAMING PREMIERE · JUNE 13, 2026

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DJ Tunez Is Coming to Houston: AfriqueFest World Cup Takes Over NOTO

Why Your Child Is Not Broken — They Just Need to Feel Safe First

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