Jaime King has been part of Taylor Swift‘s inner circle for more than a decade — long enough to entrust the pop star with the role of godmother to one of her sons.
However, when Swift married Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in July 2026, King and her then-10-year-old son, Leo Thames, weren’t among the approximately 1,000 guests. The absence prompted a rare public explanation from King’s camp and put a spotlight on a friendship that has quietly endured through Swift’s many eras.
Scroll below for a look at how Swift and King’s bond has evolved through the years:
Jaime King’s Place in Taylor Swift’s Early Squad
Odeya Rush, Jaime King, Taylor Swift and Hailee Steinfeld in 2014. Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company
Before Swift’s inner circle expanded to include the likes of Blake Lively, Gigi Hadid and Selena Gomez, King was among the earliest invitees to Swift’s now-legendary Independence Day gatherings.
In 2014, King joined Ingrid Michaelson, Lena Dunham, Emma Stone and Jessica Szohr at Swift’s Rhode Island home for a 4th of July celebration. The group swam, baked and posed for a photo Swift shared on social media with the caption, “Family portrait.”
Swift paused her annual Independence Day parties between 2017 and 2022, eventually reviving her festive bash in 2023 with a group of her fellow “single girlies.” In 2026, the singer swapped her traditional patriotic party for a glam wedding weekend with Kelce in New York City.
Jaime King and Taylor Swift’s Godmother Bond
After King and then-husband Kyle Newman welcomed son Leo in 2015, they asked Swift to be his godmother. (King and Newman also welcomed James Knight in 2013 before their 2023 divorce.)
Speaking to Us Weekly in a December 2016 interview, King described Swift simply: “She’s amazing. She’s great! As she is with everybody around her.”
Jaime King Supports Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance
King had long been vocal in her enthusiasm for Swift’s romance with Kelce, who proposed in the summer of 2025.
“Yeah, I’m f***ing stoked,” King exclusively told Us in October 2025. “Like, this is absolutely, this is the person. This is her person. Yeah, I’m so happy.”
Jaime King and Son Leo’s Absence at Taylor Swift’s Wedding
Swift married Kelce in July 2026 in what one source described to Us as an “intimate” ceremony inside NYC’s Madison Square Garden.
King and Swift’s godson Leo Thames were not among the star-studded guests.
“The reason Jaime chose Taylor as Leo Thames’s godmother is because they both believe that being a godmother is a deeply personal and spiritual commitment that has nothing to do with public appearances,” King’s rep said, addressing their wedding absence. “Leo Thames is still too young for a large adult wedding celebration, but he and his mother were able to joyfully celebrate Taylor and Travis’s marriage in his own very special, age-appropriate way during his summer break.”
As for whether Leo Thames will one day get to celebrate his godmother’s marriage in a more traditional setting, that’s a story still being written.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
