Here at Jezebel, we have a little series called
Ask The Group Chat, a weekly “advice” column, in which all the brilliant minds behind this website weigh in on a quandary that is blessedly not our own. It’s chaotic, cathartic, and most importantly, nonjudgmental—all the qualities you want from a counsel. So far, we’ve addressed issues like
becoming the subject of an incel newsletter and being
forced to wear an ugly engagement ring. But one problem we shockingly haven’t faced yet is
if and
when you should unfollow your partner’s friend-turned-foe…and
if and
when you should also unfollow
their partner.
I’ll admit there have been a few times where I’ve gently urged friends to unfollow someone I had a falling out with—but I tend to date people who aren’t on Instagram, so I’ve never actually had to ask a partner to unfollow a former bestie. Regardless, it’s a sticky scenario to navigate, though, seemingly not tricky enough for a very famous football player dating an infinitely more famous pop star.
On Monday, thanks to Taylor Swift’s Swiftie sleuths, news that Travis Kelce unfollowed Ryan Reynolds on Instagram began to spread. Over the weekend, one Reddit user clocked Kelce’s decision, writing, “Yikes.” Yikes, indeed. Especially for Reynolds, who still follows Kelce.
“They started following each other a while ago and Travis liked his posts prior to the drama,” one reply reads, alluding to Reynolds’ wife, Blake Lively, naming Swift in her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni. It’s been a long four months of the dueling It Ends With Us lawsuits, but you might remember that in an alleged text message to Baldoni, Lively likened herself to Khaleesi (as in, the character in Game of Thrones) and Swift and Reynolds as her dragons that Baldoni could “benefit” from. Well, according to sources, Swift didn’t “appreciate being referred to as one of Blake’s dragons,” and some very public distancing soon followed. Unlike in 2024, Lively and Reynolds weren’t in the Swift suite at the Super Bowl, and it’s been a while since Swift and Lively were photographed grabbing dinner together in NYC.
“Blake knew she and Taylor would come back from this at some point and that their friendship wasn’t done for good,” the “insider” said. “Taylor was really hurt by this situation, so she’s relieved they were able to recover from this and put it all behind them because it wasn’t something she took lightly.”
I don’t know about you all, but methinks that insider came from camp Lively/Reynolds and the closest person to Swift then signaled that the pair are hardly back on track in the pettiest way possible. Of course, there are other theories. Perhaps Kelce just found a new bro in Justin Timberlake, whom he was recently seen gambling with in Las Vegas. Or, maybe he was over pretending to laugh at Reynold’s tired jokes. There’s a shot—albeit a very small one—that the unfollow has nothing to do with Swift at all.
However, this whole thing makes me wonder: What is acceptable social media protocol for partners in the middle of an imperiled friendship? To unfollow, or not to unfollow? Did Kelce do the most supportive thing someone on the sidelines can do? Or did he jump the gun here? What if Lively and Swift really do recover their friendship? Won’t that be weird when he has to follow Reynolds back? I’ll be honest, he seems like the kind of guy who would spend decades reminding Kelce of the fact that he once unfollowed him.
Frankly, I’m torn. I’m an Aries, meaning if my bodega guy has beef with someone, then so do I. That’s called loyalty. But can two grudge-holders be in a healthy relationship? Shouldn’t someone be Switzerland sometimes? Anyway, I’m going to drop this inquiry in the Group Chat.
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