“I had an absolute blast. It was phenomenal,” the sports analyst said on ESPN’s ‘First Take’
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NEED TO KNOW
- Stephen A. Smith attended Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding at Madison Square Garden in New York City on July 3
- Smith called the celebration the “greatest wedding” he’s ever attended during the July 23 segment of ESPN’s First Take
- The sports analyst refrained from sharing specific wedding details out of respect but described the event as “heartfelt” and “spectacular”
Stephen A. Smith is raving over Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s “phenomenal” wedding.
During the Thursday, July 23, segment of his First Take morning sports talk show on ESPN, Smith, 58, recalled his “fabulous” experience attending Swift and Kelce’s star-studded wedding at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Friday, July 3.
“It was an absolutely fabulous, fantastic wedding. It was very touching, very heartfelt,” Smith shared. “All a bunch of wonderful people was there. It’s the greatest wedding I’ve ever seen. It was at Madison Square Garden in New York City, it was spectacular. That much, I will say, and I was honored to be there.”
He continued, “I had an absolute blast. It was phenomenal. Greatest wedding I’ve ever seen.”
Credit: JC Olivera/Getty Images; Todd Owyoung/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images; Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood
The sports analyst explained that he was invited by Kelce, whose career with the Kansas City Chiefs he’s covered so extensively that he considers him as his “brother from another mother.” He’s also a fan of Swift, noting that she’s “wonderful” and that he took his daughters to two of her concerts.
Smith didn’t spill any specific wedding details out of respect for the newlyweds, explaining, “I just think it’s for them to do.”
Kelce and Swift, both 36, began dating in 2023 and the “Opalite” singer started attending the NFL star’s games. At the time, Smith defended Swift against criticism over her appearances. The television personality explained on a January 2024 segment of First Take that the attention Swift gets from the NFL and fans while attending Kelce’s games “ain’t her fault” and that she was just trying to “support her dude.”
“It’s not like she used the games to bump up the concerts. Oh no! Those kids were going to her concerts whether the NFL was promoting her or not,” Smith said, later noting that her Eras Tour performances were “absolutely positively phenomenal, off the chain.”
He continued, “Taylor Swift is that girl. Let’s show some respect. She probably is gonna have a positive impact on Travis Kelce’s performance, okay? I’m not trying to disrespect Taylor Swift.”
Credit: Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce
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Later that month on The Howard Stern Show, the ESPN personality praised the couple’s relationship, calling Kelce “the total package” and Swift “phenomenal.”
During a March 2025 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Smith predicted that Kelce and Swift would tie the knot in 2025. Although he was wrong, the couple did announce their engagement five months later in August 2025.
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