Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Easter Eggs in ‘Christmas in the Spotlight’

‘Tis the damn season for a Christmas movie loosely inspired by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, apparently.

Tell us if this love story sounds familiar: Lifetime’s Christmas in the Spotlight follows Bowyn (Jessica Lord), a Grammy-winning pop star and idol of girls everywhere, who loves to bake and sport a red lip. She just hasn’t met Mr. Right, until she makes headlines the world over when she starts dating pro football player Drew (Laith Wallschleger).

The synopsis for the film, which is part of the network’s “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” holiday movie slate, doesn’t directly reference Swift or Kelce, and the rom-com has the usual fictitious persons disclaimer one would expect, but some similarities are pretty clear.

Below, Entertainment Weekly breaks down all of the little Easter eggs and parallels in the film that seem to reference Swift and Kelce.

‘Christmas in the Spotlight’; Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.

Lifetime, Ezra Shaw/Getty

The number 13

Any Swiftie and/or football fan will know that Kelce, who is a tight end for the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, wears the number 87. In the film, though, the Kelce-esque Drew (who is a wide receiver) wears a number 13, which is famously Swift’s favorite number (it also coincides with her birthday on Dec. 13 and countless bits of Swiftian lore).

Arrowheads

In the movie, Bowyn’s fans are referred to as Arrowheads, which is supposed to be a play on her name (like bow and arrow, get it?). In real life, of course, the Chiefs play in Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has appeared numerous times since the two first started dating last September.

Family matters

Kelce has often cited his brother, Jason (who retired from the NFL earlier this year), as an inspiration for his own football career. The Kelce family — which also includes their parents Ed and Donna; Jason’s wife, Kylie; and their three kids — are frequently seen supporting both Kelce and Swift, and are considered to be a tight family unit. In Christmas in the Spotlight, Drew also has a football-playing brother, supportive parents, a loving sister-in-law, and one beloved niece.

‘Christmas in the Spotlight’.

Lifetime/A&E

The meet-cute

In the film, Drew takes his niece to Bowyn’s concert, where they meet the singer backstage and take a picture. He later shares this picture and tags her in it, with the caption, “Swing by Bay Springs someday to watch the Bombers rock the stadium. The beer is on me!” He later makes a TV appearance on a sports show and shoots his shot there as well. 

This is eerily similar to what happened last September, when the Kansas City Chiefs tight end joined The Pat McAfee Show and revealed that he invited the “Anti-Hero” superstar to watch him play. “I threw the ball in her court,” he said at the time. “I told her, ‘I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead.’ We’ll see what happens in the near future.”

Game time

Of course, we all know what happened next — Swift did go to a game, and was seen in a suite cheering Kelce on with his family. The same thing happens in the film, and, when Drew makes a play on the field, he celebrates by striking the archer pose — a move that Kelce also does during games, and Swift has incorporated into choreography in her Eras tour shows as well. (The film also depicts Drew going to more of Bowyn’s concerts to support her, like Kelce has done this year, too.)

Friendship bracelets

Kelce famously said he made a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it to (unsuccessfully) give to Swift before they first connected, and while that’s not part of Bowyn and Drew’s love story, the friendship bracelets are. The accessory has become a part of Swiftie lore thanks to the Eras Tour, and in the film, Bowyn’s fans also seem to make them, because at the end of the film, Drew’s niece gives him one for good luck. When her father asks what the random string of letters on it mean, she tells him, “It’s an abbreviation of a Bowyn lyric, don’t you know anything?” Spoken like a true Swiftie — ahem, Arrowhead.

Conversation heard ’round the world

There’s a whole conflict in the film wherein Bowyn’s ex-boyfriend releases audio of her that has been edited, making it seem like she’s putting down her relationship with Drew and what he means to her. This causes backlash for Bowyn, and naturally, tarnishes her relationship with a devastated Drew. Later, her reputation gets cleared when the full, unedited audio gets leaked, proving she was telling the truth all along. We won’t rehash the Kanye West-Taylor Swift edited phone call saga, but let’s just say there are parallels!

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift embrace after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in overtime during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ezra Shaw/Getty

Lyric references galore

Several lines in the film feel like they could be taken right out of a Swift song. Here are some examples:

“…Ready For It?”

When Bowyn’s manager, Mira (Jeannie Mai), tells her she’s dated “pretentious actors and indie rockers who have broken your heart the last 15 years” and begs her to give Drew a shot, Bowyn agrees and says, “Let the games begin.” (Corresponding song lyric: “Baby, let the games begin”)

“You Belong With Me”

Bowyn tells Drew during their first phone call, “Growing up I was never really the cheerleader type, more of a


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