- A Connecticut restaurant was swarmed Thursday after rumors that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were there.
- The rumor, which gained traction through word-of-mouth and social media, turned out to be false.
Taylor Swift fans crowded outside a restaurant in Connecticut on Thursday after the rumors that the pop star and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce were there gained traction through word-of-mouth and social media.
According to both the restaurant and local police, they were not at the restaurant. However, scarecrows dressed like them were.
Yes, scarecrows.
It's believed the frenzy was sparked after two figures dressed like the pair — who appeared to confirm their romance during an outing last weekend by holding hands — were displayed outside the Elm, a restaurant in New Canaan, CT.
According to The New Canaan Advertiser, the scarecrows were placed there as part of an upcoming charity fundraiser put on by the Young Women's League of New Canaan.
@kamiskloud The crowd packed New Canaan for a glimpse of @Taylor Swift and @Blake Lively Official ♬ ...Ready For It? - Taylor Swift
A manager at the restaurant told the local publication, Daily Voice, she believed a "mom started the rumor" that the real Swift and Kelce were there.
Once the rumor — which was also spread on X by the account @sports_hub_1 — reached a local high school, pandemonium ensued.
Swift's close friends Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, who own a home in nearby Westchester County, were also said to be at the restaurant. However, the Elm's manager emphatically denied all variations of the rumor.
"I swear Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are not here and were not here," they told Daily Voice. "I would tell you if they were."
—Mrs. Anybody (@lsopes) October 19, 2023
A TikTok video posted by user Kami's Kloud showed a large group of people gathering outside the restaurant. While the crowd appears sizable, it's nothing compared to the massive swarm that gathered outside a New Jersey venue in August when Swifties learned that the singer was there attending Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley's wedding rehearsal.
Still, according to The New Canaan Advertiser, police were called in response to the growing crowd outside the restaurant about 4:30 p.m.
Despite their efforts to disperse fans, some lingered in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Grammy award-winning superstar and her new boyfriend.
In a statement to The New Canaan Advertiser, the local police department said it did not have contact with Swift's security and so could not confirm whether Swift was in New Canaan.
Representatives for Swift and Kelce did not respond to requests for comment from Insider, made outside regular working hours.
As for whether there was any truth to the rumor, it seems unlikely given that the "Anti-Hero" singer was photographed having dinner with Selena Gomez and Zoë Kravitz on the other side of the country on Thursday evening.
Kelce, meanwhile, was confirmed to be at practice in Kansas City on Thursday afternoon, ahead of his team's game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.