The Kansas City Chiefs\u2019 superstar tight end and the music megastar married as fans and spectators gathered outside in blistering heat, eager to be part of the occasion, even though the event was almost entirely hidden.<\/p>\n
\t Actors Bradley Cooper, Zo\u00eb Kravitz, Hugh Grant and Ethan Hawke; models Gigi Hadid and Karlie Kloss; comic Chris Rock; director Steven Spielberg; singer Camila Cabello and author Jenny Han were among the guests from the world of arts and entertainment. Kelce\u2019s coach Andy Reid and Chiefs teammates, including running back Kareem Hunt, were among the sports figures in the arena, along with retired NFL superstar Tom Brady, Seattle Seahawks receiver and recent Super Bowl champ Cooper Kupp, New York Giants receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and ESPN personalities Joe Buck and Stephen A. Smith.<\/p>\n \t In a culture obsessed with famous couplings, it may have been the apex of celebrity weddings, with perhaps only royal unions getting more attention.<\/p>\n Holding such a ceremony in a huge, iconic space that sits at the center of the US media universe while keeping all the details secret made for a surreal scene, but it was a mix of hype and hush that is not out of character for Swift.<\/p>\n A shrouded ceremony headed by Happy Gilmore<\/p>\n An Associated Press camera outside the arena showed a long line of black SUVs dropping off wedding-goers in tuxedos and evening gowns, surrounded by New Yorkers in shorts and Swifties amassing for the occasion. Rain briefly cut the heat shortly after the marriage was announced.<\/p>\n There was a seemingly total lack of social media posts from guests once they had entered the arena, with phones apparently banned.<\/p>\n \t Weddings have been a constant subject in Swift\u2019s songs since she was a teenager, and her actually walking the aisle for the first time at age 36 added to the drama. It was also the first marriage for the 36-year-old three-time Super Bowl champ Kelce, who could have been one of the jock characters in Swift\u2019s early hits.<\/p>\n Sandler, star of \u201cThe Wedding Singer\u201d and many other hit comedies, can\u2019t have been high on anyone\u2019s betting list for who would marry the couple, though he\u2019s become an increasingly warm and paternal cultural figure with age. The email announcing the marriage described him as \u201ca friend\u201d of the couple.<\/p>\n Kelce was one of the many athletes who appeared in \u201cHappy Gilmore 2,\u201d Sandler\u2019s 2025 sequel to one of his first hits, and Sandler appeared last year on the Kelce brothers\u2019 \u201cNew Heights\u201d podcast.<\/p>\n Welcome to New York \u2014 Taylor\u2019s version<\/p>\n The\u00a0Swift-Kelce relationship\u00a0has thrilled and fascinated millions around the world \u2014 particularly the Swifties, the pop star\u2019s\u00a0enormous and ardent fan base\u00a0\u2014 ever since the pair first started dating in 2023 after he showed up at her Eras Tour concert at the Chiefs stadium.<\/p>\n Happy fans mixed with frazzled tourists outside the arena.<\/p>\n \t Lori Powers, who lives an hour north of Manhattan and rode the train in to be near the nuptials, said Swift\u2019s \u201cmusic is the soundtrack behind so many amazing moments in my life. Relationships, friends, like my husband and my kids.\u201d<\/p>\n She stood outside the arena before the marriage was announced with her friend Cecily Hall.<\/p>\n \u201cJust being here and witnessing all the energy and the excitement, it\u2019s so much fun,\u201d Hall said. \u201cThe combination of sports and music makes perfect sense as to why they\u2019re at Madison Square Garden today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident \u2013 ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded \u2013 I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.<\/p>\n There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.<\/p>\n As a Times of Israel reporter, I\u2019m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit\u2019s. But my colleagues and I can’t do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.<\/p>\n \u2014 Stav Levaton, military reporter<\/p>\n \t\t\t
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\n\t\tTravis Kelce, left, and Taylor Swift pose after the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo\/Ashley Landis)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AFP__20260703__2284539146__v1__HighRes__NewYorkCityPreparesForRumoredTaylorSwiftAndT-e1783141733362-.jpeg\")
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\n\t\tEthan Hawke arrives at Madison Square Garden on July 3, 2026, in New York City. (Roy Rochlin\/Getty Images\/AFP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26184808316863-e1783141990766-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tA truck believed to be carrying Taylor Swift arrives at New York\u2019s Madison Square Garden ahead of the singer\u2019s wedding with NFL star Travis Kelce on July 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26184769427524-e1783142109221-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tFans line up outside of New York\u2019s Madison Square Garden ahead of Taylor Swift\u2019s wedding with NFL star Travis Kelce on Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy)<\/p>\n
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