When Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s relationship was unveiled last year it came as a shock to fans.
Some questioned what had brought together the bad boy of the NFL world and the squeaky clean pop star – who was herself on the rebound from a short-lived fling with musician Matty Healy.
Yet over the months, as pictures emerged of Travis swapping friendship bracelets at the Eras tour and Taylor rushing onto the field at the Super Bowl, the pair were presented as your stereotypical jock and head cheerleader couple – albeit on a greater stage.
Now, however, doubts have been cast once more over the validity of their romance, with Travis forced to furiously deny his relationship with Taylor is a scam after a ‘leaked’ document revealed a strategy to announce their split.
Yet while this contract is said to be ‘entirely false and fabricated’, Travis’ publicist Jack Ketosyan has admitted to setting up showmances before – even revealing how you can spot if a relationship has been staged.
Featuring in an Australian podcast for Mamamia’s The Quicky in 2019, Jack said the fake romances are generally put together if a celebrity has a film or new project to promote or to distract from bad publicity that comes with a flop or scandal.
He admitted to staging at least two relationships during his career, having used them as a tool to distract the public from negative headlines.
While he didn’t name names, the Hollywood insider said that it’s not uncommon for stars to sign a ‘love contract’, which requires them to ‘date’ for at least a year.
In the celebrity world, it’s out with the dating apps and in with the lawyers, publicists and accountants.
Jack explained that fake relationships were once used to cover up the fact a popular actor was gay, but now it’s all about generating buzz.
‘It’s to be able to sell the hype of it – whether a concert, album… or getting people to go to see the movie, it all about the hype at the moment,’ he explained.
He claimed that one minor female star got a ‘career boost’ out of such an arrangement and is now a ‘household name’ thanks to her year-long relationship with an actor.
‘It was more of a mutual agreement between the agents,’ he recalled. ‘We had a male who actually had a movie coming out and it was getting a lot of bad reviews and slack and they wanted to take the negativity of the movie away and make it more about him.
‘We found him a girl, a one year deal, he finished off the press and a little bit after that they went their separate ways. She did not want to do a two-year deal.’
He went on to say the ‘main clue’ for spotting a faked romance is when a lesser-known star becomes ‘the most talked-about girl in Hollywood’ overnight thanks to her relationship.
Jack has not only given an interview about setting up showmances, but has written a novel based on his real experiences too.
In 2018 he released Guilty Pleasure – a novel about a PR romance.
The synopsis reads: ‘As three young Hollywood professionals strive to keep the industry’s most salacious scandals under wraps during awards season, Nicola faces her biggest challenge as a publicist when she is forced to represent her superstar ex-boyfriend, Seamus, when he returns from rehab.
‘Her boss Gaynor is struggling to keep the PR agency afloat, and Seamus is one client who definitely won’t leave as long as Nicola is around.
‘He’s willing to do anything to win her back—even start a fake relationship for some badly needed good publicity.’
While most celebrities are obviously reluctant to say they’ve faked a relationship, some have been forthcoming in their deception.
Steve-O previously claimed his ‘fling’ with Nicole Richie in 2006 was just for publicity.
The Jackass star told The Howard Stern Show: ‘The truth is she wanted some publicity for something other than being skinny.
‘It was a big publicity stunt. She would come pick me up – I don’t drive – I think she called the paparazzi too. These motherf**kers were coming from all directions.’
Nick Lachey accused Kim Kardashian of using him to launch her career, with Kim herself confessing that interest in her was sparked after they went on a single date in 2006.
When asked whether tabloid pictures of the pair marked the start of Kim’s career, the singer said: ‘That’s one way to interpret it. Let’s just say this: We went to a movie. No one followed us there.
‘Somehow, mysteriously, when we left, there were 30 photographers waiting outside.’
Kim’s stepbrother Brody Jenner was also caught up in a showmance, admitting he faked his relationship with Lauren Conrad on The Hills.
Brody confessed: ‘We never actually dated. In the beginning, we had a little kind of chemistry, and we hung out, and I think it played pretty well on screen. I think that they, the producers, really wanted us to keep that going, even though we just wanted to be friends.
‘But she’s great. We had a great time. It was so easy to work with her. It was so easy to film scenes with her and do stuff and act like we were [together], because we really did enjoy each other’s company. We really liked each other, just not in that romantic way.’
YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul has form with fake romances – pretending to get married not once but twice for publicity.
In 2017 he filmed himself ‘marrying’ fellow vlogger Erika Costell in Las Vegas and released a series of married life vlogs.
Yet just three months later, Jake confessed it was all a sham, admitting: ‘We’re not even actually dating. It’s like the WWE. People know that’s fake, and it’s one of the biggest things of entertainment.’
Two years later, Jake pulled the same stunt with another YouTuber, ‘marrying’ Tana Mongeau in Vegas.
He later confessed: ‘We all do things sometimes. And sometimes you end up getting fake married. So I’ll leave it at that.’
Sometimes, just being romantically linked to a star is enough to do the trick.
When Rihanna was still a rising star, rumours circulated that she was having an affair with her protégé Jay Z.
While this turned out to be false, it’s said to have caused the rapper to separate from wife Beyonce for a year.
When reports of the split surfaced, Rihanna’s former publicist was forced to issue a public apology and admitted he had started the rumour himself.
‘The pr stunt that I did was out of desperation to help break Pon de Replay,’ he said in his statement. ‘It was reckless and I didn’t think it was going to work. I was just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick.’
Not everyone agrees to a showmance, however.
Pageant queen Amy Willerton previously claimed that TOWIE star Joey Essex asked her to have a fake relationship with him while they were contestants on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2013.
She revealed: ‘To be honest that was a horrible experience. If someone says to you, “Hey, let’s be in a fake relationship!” You’re like, “No, that’s not what I want!” I didn’t even know that kind of thing went on.’
The subject of fake relationships has come up again as Travis and Taylor fans question their romance.
On Tuesday, Travis’ representatives were forced to deny that they have plans to split later this month after a document written on the headed paper of his US PR company was spread online.
The paperwork which appears to have been created by Los Angeles-based firm Full Scope, reveals a strategy to make their split, and says the date for an announcement is September 28.
It also outlines a supposed plan to release an official statement at the end of this month – three days ‘post-break up’ to ‘allow the initial media frenzy to settle and ensure clarity’.
It adds that the announcement will be ‘gracious, respectful and stress mutual respect.
Laying out what the statement would say, they write: ‘Example: Travis and Taylor have decided to part ways after careful consideration. They both value and respect each other’s personal lives and appreciate your respect for privacy during this time.
‘They are both committed to their careers and personal growth. They remain friends and wish each other the best.’
The paperwork also states that the announcement would focus on Travis’ ‘personal growth’ by framing the breakup as a ‘natural part of life.’ It also will highlight his commitment to his career and his ongoing achievements in the sports industry.’
They also plan to send it to major media outlets with a press release to ensure ‘broad coverage.’
However, a spokesman for Full Scope insisted that they were ‘entirely false and fabricated and were not created, issued or authorised by this agency’.
The representative also said they have called in lawyers – though they are not expected to find the culprit.
‘We have engaged our legal team to initiate proceedings against the individuals or entities responsible for the unlawful and injurious forgery of documents,’ they said.
Not all fans believe the statement – which was first shared on Reddit.
One follower of the social media platform pointed out that it ‘reads like a high school assignment’ while another said it appeared to look like it had been created by ‘chat gtp.’
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Taylor didn’t respond when asked if she wanted to comment on the split.
Taylor and Tom Hiddleston were accused of being in a ‘showmance’ to avert attention away from her breakup with Calvin Harris back in 2016.
They dated briefly, for around three months, before calling it quits in September 2016.
After months of speculation, the pair went ‘public’ with their romance on September 24 last year when Taylor took Travis’ invitation to watch him play for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Love Story star was photographed in the stands with his mother and sources revealed later that it was her first time meeting his family, and it ‘went well.’
Afterwards, the pair were filmed leaving the game, marking the first video of them together.
