The drama began after the Philadelphia Eagles, Gardner-Johnson’s team at the time, defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX on February 9, 2025.
Taylor Swift, who has been dating Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce since 2023, was at the game cheering for Kansas City.
After the victory, Gardner-Johnson took to Instagram with a post that started the online drama.
He shared a photo of himself facing Kelce on the field, captioning it, “Should’ve stayed with that thick,” which fans interpreted as a dig at Swift and a reference to Kelce’s ex-girlfriend, Kayla Nicole.
This comment didn’t sit well with Taylor’s fans. They felt it was disrespectful not only to the singer but also to Kelce’s past relationship.
CJ Gardner-Johnson (player for eagles) posted this on his instagram story about Travis and Taylor
byu/Winter_Abies_2469 inSwiftlyNeutral
Fans flooded social media, calling out Gardner-Johnson for what they saw as body-shaming and unnecessary trash talk.
Swifties didn’t stop at online criticism. They took their retaliation to the next level by targeting King’s Grill, a Florida restaurant owned by Gardner-Johnson’s mother, Del Johnson.
The restaurant was hit with a wave of one-star reviews on Yelp and Google, many from accounts that had never previously reviewed a business.
This review bombing game drew criticism from Eagles fans and others who felt Swifties had crossed a line by targeting Gardner-Johnson’s family business. Some called it unfair, pointing out that his mother had nothing to do with the feud.
Eagles supporters even tried to counter the negative reviews by posting positive ones to boost the restaurant’s rating.
Gardner-Johnson Escalated the Controversy with Infamous Super Bowl Sweatshirt!
Instead of backing off, Gardner-Johnson leaned into the controversy. On February 14, 2025, during the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory parade in Philadelphia, he wore a sweatshirt that read, “Swifties can LIX my b—-.”
In no time, the shirt, which referenced the Super Bowl LIX (59) title, went viral after he posted it on Instagram Live, and photos of it spread across social media.
Later, Gardner-Johnson said that the sweatshirt was a gift from a friend of Eagles’ staff member Big Dom DiSandro.
Similarly, he later explained on The Pivot Podcast that it was meant as a locker room joke, not a personal attack. However, Swifties and some Houston-based fans saw it differently.
Gardner-Johnson Trade to Texans Sparks Swiftie Karma Claims!
The feud took a new turn when the Eagles traded Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans on March 11, 2025, for offensive lineman Kenyon Green and draft picks.
While Eagles GM Howie Roseman cited financial reasons for the trade, Swifties were quick to claim it was “karma” for Gardner-Johnson’s actions.
Social media buzzed with fans joking that Taylor Swift’s influence somehow played a role.
One X user wrote, “Taylor Swift somehow worked her magic to get CJ Gardner-Johnson traded out of Philly after that parade shirt.”
Another said, “The Eagles probably traded CJ partly because of the Taylor Swift thing. Let’s not lie here.”
Gardner-Johnson expressed shock and frustration over the trade, telling he felt “highly disrespected” by the Eagles.
He believed the team traded him because they were “scared of a competitor” and couldn’t handle his outspoken personality.
Despite the drama, he shared a heartfelt farewell to Philadelphia on Instagram, thanking the city and fans for their support.
