Swifties have had an opportunity to dissect more about Taylor Swift‘s relationship with Travis Kelce than ever before.
When the couple appeared together on the New Heights podcast—the show co-hosted by Travis’ brother, Jason Kelce—they gave fans a rare glimpse into their life as a couple. The on-air chemistry and clear affection between them also caught the eye of celebrity therapist Esther Perel, who used their dynamic to explain a psychological term called compersion.
The highly anticipated episode made headlines as Swift revealed details of her new album, The Life of a Showgirl, and discussed everything from her record-breaking Eras Tour to her love of baking sourdough bread. In her divulging, Kelce exhibited all the signs of a supportive, truly attuned partner.
In an Instagram reel, Perel shared her thoughts, defining compersion as “sympathetic joy”—or the opposite of jealousy. Perel added that it’s “refreshing for us to see those close to someone super successful delight in their achievements—and to see both partners exhibit this adoration and admiration so freely and confidently and publicly.”
Psychological Insight
The public reaction to the couple’s relationship also caught the attention of Nari Jeter, a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in couples and is the co-host of The Coupled Podcast. Jeter spoke to Newsweek about the podcast and Perel’s interpretation, offering a deeper explanation of compersion and how it plays out in the megastar’s relationship.
“Compersion is a feeling of joy, happiness and celebration at the happiness of one’s partner,” she explained. “It is often contrasted with jealousy, but I actually think that’s an inaccurate comparison. I think the opposite of compersion is gloating and/or celebrating in a partner’s misfortunes or unhappiness.”
Jeter said she believes that both Travis and Jason Kelce were able to exhibit their joy for Swift without jealousy because of their own professional success.
“They have probably learned to wrestle with these feelings and have found that their peace, joy and success come from focusing on themselves, but also learning to celebrate others,” she added.
The Importance of Individuality
According to Jeter, the ability to feel compersion is a sign of a healthy relationship.
“I think couples need to really learn to celebrate their own individualities within their relationship,” she said, noting that sometimes couples have a tendency to “blend or fuse, and lose ourselves.”
She believes that once partners can embrace their own individuality within a relationship, it creates safety and freedom to explore what brings each of them joy. This prevents a partner from “feeling threatened by their other partner’s success and accolades and see them separate from their own self-esteem,” she said.
Despite the glowing reviews of Swift and Kelce’s dynamic far and wide, Jeter addressed the often-negative view of jealousy, arguing that it’s a natural human emotion that can be a catalyst for personal growth.
“I believe it is OK to feel jealous of your partner,” she said. “If you have that feeling, let it sit with you. Identify what it is your partner has that you want…success, confidence, easy, admiration? Then, work on finding that for yourself, either by choosing to look at your circumstances differently or by taking action.
“Jealousy is really only negative when it ‘rears its ugly head,’ meaning, you show your jealousy by putting down or minimizing your partner. But internally felt jealousy is part of being human—and isn’t a reflection of how you love and care for your partner.”
Ultimately, Perel and Jeter’s analysis suggests that the affection displayed between Swift and Kelce on the podcast is not just a cute celebrity romance, but an example of a healthy partnership built on mutual respect and admiration. The pair seem replete with feelings of compersion—and Swifties were no doubt grateful for the indulgent look into their relationship.
Newsweek reached out to Esther Perel for comment via email.
The post Celebrity Therapist’s Eye-Opening Theory on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce appeared first on Newsweek.
