It’s no surprise that Jason Kelce loves a good laugh — even if that means playing a prank on his three young daughters.
The 36-year-old retired Eagles center might be setting his daughters — Wyatt, 4, Elliotte, 3, and Bennett, 18 months — up for an embarrassing interaction with Taylor Swift, should they ever meet her beloved cats, Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button. He’s managed to convince his girls, whom he shares with wife Kylie Kelce, 32, that they can’t have a pet cat because cats are poisonous.
The hilarious ruse was revealed in the Wednesday, September 4 episode of his New Heights podcast, which he co-hosts with brother Travis Kelce.
Retired football player Jason Kelce during the second practice round at the ACC Celebrity Golf Championship presented by American Century Investments at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course on July 11, 2024 in Stateline, Nevada. In September 2024, Kelce revealed on ‘New Heights’ that he told his kids cats are poisonous so they wouldn’t want to get one.
David Calvert/Getty Images
When one fan heard about his plan, they took to X (formerly known as Twitter), writing, “JASON KELCE HAS BEEN TELLING HIS KIDS CATS ARE POISONOUS SO THEY DON’T HAVE TO GET ONE?? LMAO GET [Swift’s longtime publicist] TREE PAINE ON THE PHONE 😭.” By bringing up Paine, the Swiftie seemed to light-heartedly suggest that The Tortured Poets Department hitmaker, 34, would not take kindly to this cat slander.
Now that Jason’s brother Travis, 34, is famously dating Swift, another fan couldn’t help but ask, “and what is jason’s plan when they meet auntie taytay’s cats?” Ever the jokester, Jason simply responded, “It’s gonna be hilarious.”
In the episode, Jason admitted that while he’s never wanted a pet cat, he’s certainly in the minority, with his wife Kylie and their daughters all pushing to get one. Naturally, Jason thought the only way to avoid this unwanted pet would be to make up a story that cats are poisonous.
and what is jason’s plan when they meet auntie taytay’s cats?
— Bhumika ISO VANCOUVER (@bhumika_1905) September 4, 2024
“You know what my latest plan to divert our family from getting a cat is? I just keep telling our girls that cats are poisonous,” Jason told Travis, who responded by asking, “Why would you tell them that?” Jason explained the reason is two-pronged, one being he doesn’t get a cat, and two, it will “make them terrified.”
Travis was not having it, quipping, “That’s sick.” Jason tried to brush it off, saying “it’s whatever,” and suggesting they will eventually find out the truth. “I think lying to your kids is important,” Jason jokingly added. Travis, however, pointed out how potentially traumatizing that could be for his kids.
“Not in this regard. They’re gonna go over a friend’s house and scream bloody murder because they see a cat,” Travis said, pushing back. “That sounds like that person’s house problem,” Jason shrugged, explaining that since Kylie is already pushing for a cat, “I gotta get these kids on my side. Otherwise, I’m in a sinking ship.”
Despite Kylie telling the kids their dad was just lying, it seems Jason continued to double down, saying, “I’m like, listen, if you have a cat, the government will come and take it from you because they’re so lethal that I mean, they can kill you, and they don’t even have to bite you. Just them licking you.”
Jason and Kylie have been married since 2018. Travis has been publicly dating superstar Swift since September 2023.
