No, Chiefs CEO didn't ban Taylor Swift from games | Fact check

Chris Mueller, USA TODAY
·3 min read
15

The claim: Fox News reported Chiefs CEO banned Taylor Swift from team’s games

An Aug. 23 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows side-by-side images of Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt and pop star Taylor Swift.

“JUST IN: Fox News has Just Reported that Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt has officially banned pop superstar Taylor Swift from attending any future Chiefs games, Calling her ‘Chiefs’ BIGGEST DISTRACTION,’” reads the post. “This decision came on the heels of the Chiefs' disappointing defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars in their first preseason game.”

The post was shared more than 100 times in a week. Similar posts appeared on Facebook and Threads.

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Our rating: False

A spokesperson said Fox News hasn't reported that Swift has been banned from Chiefs games. There is no evidence Hunt made such an announcement.

Fox News did not report Swift banned from Chiefs games

There is no such report on Fox News’ website, and a spokesperson for the news outlet said it did not report that Hunt banned Swift from Chiefs games.

“This was never reported on FOX News Channel,” Fox News spokesperson Sofie Watson told USA TODAY.

No credible reports from other news outlets support the post’s claim either, and nothing similar to the claim is mentioned in any recent statements from the Chiefs.

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In late September 2023, Swift attended the Chiefs' game against the Chicago Bears, the first of many she attended to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce, the Chiefs’ nine-time Pro Bowl tight end.

Hunt, the Chiefs’ CEO since 2010, told Bloomberg in August that Swift’s involvement with the team has helped boost its fan base by 30%.

“I always want to point out how happy I am for Taylor and Travis in the relationship. I’ve seen them together and they make a fantastic couple,” Hunt said, adding that “The knock-on effect has been amazing, the growth in our female fan base has been amazing over the last year.”

Hunt has also said Swift is part of the “Chiefs Kingdom,” a phrase often used to describe the team’s fan base.

USA TODAY has previously debunked numerous false claims about Swift, including that the Country Music Hall of Fame disqualified her, that CMT banned her for life and that Jason Aldean threw her out of a Toby Keith tribute concert.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fox News didn’t say Taylor Swift banned from Chiefs games | Fact check

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