Travis Kelce has Taylor Swift’s bestie Blake Lively’s back amid ‘It Ends With Us’ controversy

Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, during a recent episode of the “New Heights” podcast, praised Blake Lively for her role in Gossip Girl, amid controversy over her latest film, It Ends With Us. Kelce, whose girlfriend Taylor Swift is close friends with Lively, revealed his admiration for the show, saying, “I used to not tell everybody that I watched Gossip Girl growing up,” but added, “Dude, it’s so good though.” His brother, Jason Kelce, jokingly responded that Travis “should be embarrassed about that,” to which the football star replied, “You can’t judge me, dude. It is what it is.”

The praise for Lively’s iconic role comes as the actress faces backlash over her promotion of It Ends With Us, a film adapted from Colleen Hoover’s book. Lively was criticized for promoting her haircare line during the movie's press tour and for encouraging fans to wear florals to screenings, despite the film's themes of domestic abuse. Additionally, rumors of tension between Lively and her co-star Justin Baldoni have surfaced, with insiders telling Page Six there was “obvious” discomfort between them on set.

Lively, however, addressed the controversy by emphasizing the resilience of her character, stating, “She is not just a survivor, and she’s not just a victim.”