Did this couple predict Kelce-Swift romance? Halloween costume from 2020 goes viral
When Makayla and Nick Stephens dressed up as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce for Halloween 2020, they had no clue that three years later the stars would align, and the two celebrities would be romantically linked.
"It's kind of like our two worlds colliding, like merging into this relationship, which is so funny," Makayla told USA TODAY. "But we really weren't trying to like go all out. We were just trying to like to fit in with the party. I just thought it was super crazy [the outfits] because there was like the two most random people in the whole world that we could choose to be for Halloween."
"And now it's like getting to a point where I like they actually are a couple, so it just feels like, like a full circle moment," she added.
Last-minute costumes
Makayla told USA TODAY that it all started when her husband Nick's parents threw a last-minute Halloween party to commemorate the closing on a house that they'd been building.
"We were like just planning on attending, basically," Makayla shared. "But then they reached back out and they're like 'Hey by the way, everyone is dressing up in costumes.'"
Makayla and Nick, who got married the same year, are, or were, not very big costume people so they rummaged around their house to see what they could put together for the occasion. The party was around the same time as things were opening up after the COVID-19 lockdown, so it was hard for them to simply go and buy a costume from the store.
Makayla said that Nick had a Travis Kelce's jersey that his friends gifted him, so he decided to wear that and go as the athlete.
Meanwhile, Makayla, a Swiftie, decided to dress up as the pop star, who had just released her album "Folklore".
"I was like looking through my closet and I was sending pictures to my friends, and I was like I could be like the 'Folklore' Taylor Swift, or I can be 'Lovers' or I could be 'Reputation,'" said Makayla, adding that she was randomly trying out outfits. But one thing she was sure about was that she wanted the pink heart around her eye.
"We went with that, and they were like, the most, sorry, I'm trying to censor myself, but they were like the most lame costumes to ever exist," said Makayla.
Watch:Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce exit Chiefs game together and drive away in convertible
Social media response
Makayla said that she was scrolling through TikTok a couple of weeks back when she saw a post which discussed how Swift and Kelce would make a cute couple.
"I was like, we already did this. Oh my gosh, we already did this," said Makayla.
On the encouragement of her husband, she decided to post their Halloween photo on TikTok. However, they didn't get much response at that time. On Wednesday night, the photo somehow made its way to Twitter and blew up. Suddenly, fans of Swift and Kelce started making their way to Makayla's Instagram page.
"It's been a crazy, crazy day," Stephens shared. "Oh, my goodness. It's been like wild, but it's all been positive," said Makayla.
Both the husband and wife, who are from Oklahoma, are Kansas City Chiefs and Taylor Swift fans respectively.
Nick is an ardent supporter of the Chiefs while Makayla loves Swift. The two have attended numerous games together sporting the Chief's outfits while this summer they also attended an Eras Concert in Kansas City.
In fact, Malayka said that the theme of her wedding shower was "Lover," inspired by one of Swift's albums.
While it is hard for a Swiftie to choose their favorite song or album, Makayla, who is also a sixth-grade teacher, had her answer ready because this is the one question her students ask her all the time.
"My favorite album is probably 'Folklore,' and my current favorite song is 'Evermore,'" said Makayla.
Makayla hopes that her post somehow reaches Swift and Kelce, so she can get front-row tickets to a Chiefs' game or an Eras concert.
"Our backup option is if they get married and have babies, they can name them after us and that'll be good," Makayla joked.
Did she 'just say yes'?
On Sunday, Swift, who has been linked to the Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro tight end, sent the internet into a meltdown when she attended Week 3's Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium. Swift took in the action in a suite with Kelce's family and was spotted sitting next to and cheering with Kelce's mother, Donna.
Back for more?Taylor Swift expected to watch Travis Kelce, Chiefs play Jets, per report
The pop superstar and the two-time Super Bowl champion Kelce walked out of Arrowhead Stadium together after the game in what was their first public appearance as a duo.
Kelce gave Swift a shoutout in a podcast saying his family had "nothing but great things to say about her." Against the Bears, he caught seven passes for 69 yards — both team highs on the day — and one touchdown.
Swift's attendance brought a surge of her fans in an unlikely crossover. The national FOX broadcast of the Chiefs' win over the Bears was the highest-rated NFL game of the week for women in three different age demographics covering 12 to 49, according to FOX Sports: the game ranked first in females 12-17, 18-34 and 18-49. The telecast was also the most-watched NFL broadcast of the week on any network with 24.3 million total viewers.
Swift's presence has contributed to a mega boost in sales for Kelce's No. 87 jersey and a spike in his social media numbers. The tight end has now passed 3 million Instagram followers, gaining 325,000 in a week, which is a bigger increase than he saw after winning last year's Super Bowl, also per Front Office Sports.
A Swiftie's guide to Travis Kelce:What to know about Kansas City Chiefs tight end
'Ketchup and Seemingly Ranch':Heinz announces new product after Taylor Swift condiment choice goes viral at Chiefs game
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.
