On September 16, 2024, a fake news article stated that Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce had threatened Tesla CEO Elon Musk because of a tweet. This misinformation started making the rounds on the night of September 10, from an Instagram post by a popular singer, Taylor Swift who is in a relationship with Kelce. In her post, Swift declared her support for the U. S Vice President Kamala Harris together with her partner and the incumbent Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in the upcoming November presidential election.
Shortly after that, Elon Musk, who endorsed Harris’ rival, the former US president, Donald Trump, posted an incendiary message on X (previously Twitter). Musk’s tweet, which he later deleted, read: “Fine Taylor … you win … I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life. ” This comment was considered by many as a bid to steal the limelight from Swift.
The next day, a fake screenshot emerged in social media, which was said to be a reply from Kelce’s X account @tkelce to Musk. The screenshot featured a message purportedly from Kelce that read: “I’m 6’5 and actually play football The fact I went to college and got a degree and worked hard might be lost on you I don’t play backgammon but I do play chess I could also twist you into a pretzel.” This particular image was more popular and was said to have been made by Kelce himself.
I would pay good money to watch Travis Kelce kick the living shit out of Elon Musk. pic.twitter.com/3CbhUZnVXy
— cαηα∂α нαтεs тя☭мρ (@Trump_Detester) September 12, 2024
Still, a closer look at the official X account timeline of Kelce did not show that he posted the reply. There was no proof that can back up the assertion that Kelce replied to Musk’s tweet.
Further investigation by Snopes uncovered the truth behind the fake screenshot. An X user named @theABinKC admitted to creating the fabricated image. In a direct message, this user explained that the fake screenshot was originally part of a post from September 11, where they had falsely stated, “it appears travis has responded to elon.”
This incident highlights the dangers of misinformation on social media, where false narratives can quickly spread. As confirmed by fact-checkers, Travis Kelce did not threaten Elon Musk, and the purported exchange was simply a fabrication.
