David Beckham can relate to Travis Kelce when it comes to dating the world’s biggest pop star.
“Do you ever talk to, like, Travis Kelce and say, ‘Hey, man, here’s what you have to expect?’” Jimmy Kimmel asked Beckham, 49, about balancing fame and a high-profile relationship during his Wednesday, May 8, appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Beckham laughed at Kimmel’s sentiments before giving his approval to Kelce, 34.
“I think he can handle it,” he said. “We know Taylor [Swift] can definitely handle it.”
Long before Swift, 34, and Kelce’s romance captured the hearts of fans, David and his wife, Victoria Beckham, had a similar love story. David was a professional soccer player in the U.K. who found love with Victoria, now 50, at the height of the Spice Girls’ popularity. When David and Victoria began dating in the late ‘90s, they caused a media frenzy similar to Swift and Kelce.
In David’s 2023 Netflix documentary, Beckham, the former athlete recalled the struggles he faced in the limelight and the intense scrutiny he faced throughout his soccer career.
“I think that surprised a lot of people,” David said to Kimmel on Wednesday about the reaction to his doc. “Through that time, it was difficult.”
While David had his fair share of ups and downs, he and Victoria have remained steady since they tied the knot in 1999. The couple share four children: Brooklyn, 25, Romeo, 21, Cruz, 19, and Harper, 12. This July, Victoria and David will celebrate a major milestone in their relationship.
“We’ve been together 27 years in July,” he gushed. “We’ve been married for 25, so it’s our 25th wedding anniversary.”
The couple have been by each other’s side for more than two decades, and David shared that he and his wife found some peace after releasing the documentary in October 2023.
“Recently, we were in a pub in London, and I came out and on the windscreen on my car was a note, no name on it, just, ‘We’re so sorry for the way we treated you,’” he shared on Wednesday. “I liked that.”
Intrigue surrounding the start of Victoria and David’s relationship is similar to what Swift and Kelce have endured since they began dating last summer. Swift attended several of Kelce’s football games following her first stadium appearance in September 2023, often becoming the center of attention throughout the broadcasts.
As Swift and Kelce’s connection grew, she became a staple in the Kansas City Chiefs suite. She cheered for Kelce and the team all the way to their Super Bowl LVIII victory in February. Kelce has returned the favor to Swift multiple times as he’s jetted off to several of her international Eras Tour shows during his time off from football.
