Taylor Swift Says No to Super Bowl Halftime Show: Here’s Why

Taylor Swift is many things — a billionaire, a mastermind, a lyrical assassin in red lipstick.

But Super Bowl halftime performer? Nope. And she’s finally explained why.(P.S. Bad Bunny is the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show performer.)

On Monday (Oct. 6), the Eras Tour queen stopped by The Tonight Show, where Jimmy Fallon rapidly-fired a list of internet rumors for her to confirm or deny.

One of them? The long-standing theory that she turned down the Super Bowl halftime show because of performance footage rights.

Taylor's response: a firm “No.” But of course, she didn’t leave it at that.

It's Gonna Be a No From Me…

Taylor went on to give a thoughtful — and yes, kind of long-winded — explanation for why she’s been dodging Super Bowl invites.

Spoiler: it’s not about contracts or creative control. And it’s not technically about Travis Kelce either.

“Jay-Z has always been very good to me,” she said, noting how Roc Nation occasionally checks in to gauge her interest as the rapper is in charge of booking the performer. “But I am in love with a guy who does that sport on that actual field.”

Then came a classic Swiftian metaphor: “That is violent chess. That is gladiators without swords. That is dangerous.”

So while Travis is out there risking literal bones for the Chiefs, Taylor just… can’t. She can’t be thinking about her "Cruel Summer" choreography while her fiancé is getting body-slammed on the 40-yard line.

“I’m just too locked in,” she said. “This is nothing to do with Travis. He would love for me to do it.”

Translation: She’s a perfectionist, not a cornerback.

Also No: Space. Like, Absolutely Not.

And if you thought the Super Bowl was a hard pass, wait until you hear her thoughts on outer space.

In a separate interview with BBC Radio 2, Taylor was asked if she’d ever consider blasting off like fellow pop star Katy Perry did. The answer? Immediate and emphatic.

“Why would I do that? There’s no reason to do that,” she said. “It’s cold, it’s scary, I don’t know if I can come back down… and if I do, no one will believe I went.”