What Was Really Going On In That Viral NFL Hug Moment With Taylor Swift, According To Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark is interviewed, while Taylor Swift Performs in Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

(Image credit: NBC Sports/Taylor Swift Productions)

In recent years, Caitlin Clark has emerged as one of the premier athletes within the sports landscape. She absolutely dazzled fans during her collegiate career at Iowa, and she’s already more than made an impression as a member of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. With her star rising, Clark is now starting to rub shoulders with major celebrities. That includes Taylor Swift, with whom Clark had a viral hug moment at a Kansas City Chiefs game. Now, the basketball player is opening up about what really happened during that NFL event.

Caitlin Clark – a big Chiefs fan – attended their AFC Divisional game against the Houston Texans. At the time, the 23-year-old WNBA Rookie of the Year was watching from a (likely pricey) suite with Taylor Swift, whose boyfriend, Travis Kelce, plays for Kansas City. Fans noticed that at one point during the game, Swift went in for a hug, and Clark seemed shook. After the moment drew sweet responses, Clark was asked what she’d say if someone told her a year ago that she’d be in that position, and she gave an honest response:

I probably would’ve been like, ‘What? Where would my life be at’ kind of thing. But, obviously, I’m a huge Chiefs fan, I’ve been a huge Chiefs fan. Obviously, Taylor’s a huge Chiefs fan, too. So it was fun, and it honestly worked out so we could go. And we had the time, and it was perfect. It all worked out. … It was a pretty good time, and Taylor is obviously very sweet and very kind, you know? It’s just a good reminder of like, people in our position, we’re very normal, and sometimes our lives aren’t normal. But we’re very normal people, and we enjoy doing fun things, too. We enjoy watching sports, we enjoy hanging out with our friends and things like that. It just puts a great perspective on life and where you’re at in your career.

Since she began dating one of the NFL’s top tight ends, the “Willow” singer has been a fixture at Kansas City games. Usually sporting a Chiefs jacket, Taylor Swift usually appears enthusiastic when cheering for her man and his team. It’s even been assumed that Swift has been attending games longer than previously assumed. During her conversation with 247 Sports (which is on YouTube), the WNBA All-Star continued to discuss the surreal nature of the situation and, based on her comments, she’s honestly just like you or me:

I mean, Taylor is probably like the most famous person in the world right now, and what she’s been able to do over the last couple of years. Obviously, her tour was absolutely tremendous, but just the way she’s been able to unite people, I think has been the most powerful thing. And I think it’s really cool and special and, obviously, I got to experience that three times. There’s just nothing like having — obviously, I’ve been to one of her concerts. But being in that stadium and seeing the way everyone is passionate about something, that’s so fun and so easygoing. It’s very uplifting and cool. Yeah, I mean, it’s just cute to see how excited she is for the Chiefs, and getting to share that, I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I love this. She loves the Chiefs as much as me. This is incredible.’ We had so much fun.

Caitlin Clark is certainly living a dream that few of us have ever or will ever experience in our lifetimes. Personally, I don’t mind living vicariously through her, and what I can really appreciate is just how cognizant she is of her celebrity status. On that note, now I’m wondering if Clark might end up joining the Grammy winner’s BFF Squad. I could definitely see it and, given that she’s a self-professed Swiftie, I’d like to think that Clark wouldn’t mind that one bit.

The Iowa native is certainly an intimidating presence in her own right due to the impact she’s had on the WNBA and women’s basketball in such a short amount of time. Should she continue on this path, her status will likely continue to rise. Though, even now, she’s already drawn the attention of fellow entertainers. For instance, WWE vet Bianca Belair is pitching for the baller to collaborate with the wrestling corporation in some capacity.

I’m not sure if fans will actually see Caitlin Clark in the ring anytime soon, though I wouldn’t be surprised if she shows up to root for the Chiefs at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. The team is set to play against the formidable Philadelphia Eagles. It should be a good game and, if Clark does attend as well as Taylor Swift, I wouldn’t be surprised if they share hugs again.

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Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.