Bowen Yang Calls ‘Sweet’ Travis Kelce His ‘Straight Male Friend for Life’ After Saturday Night Live Hosting Gig

Bowen Yang knows Travis Kelce is his friend for life.

The Saturday Night Live star, 33, revealed that he has stayed in touch with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end following his SNL hosting gig in March 2023. Kelce, 34, and girlfriend Taylor Swift also made a surprise appearance on the season 49 premiere last year.

“He is my straight male friend for life,” he shared in an interview with the Los Angeles Times at the 2024 Emmys. “Travis, I love you.”

Yang is, of course, referring to the SNL sketch, “Straight Male Friend,” which he and Kelce teamed up for during the NFL star’s hosting gig. The bit depicted “a low-effort friendship that requires no emotional commitment, financial investment or drama” between a gay man and his straight male friend.

Since then, Yang — who was nominated for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series at the Emmys — said the pair “keep up every now and then,” adding, “We’ll check in with each other. He’s so sweet.”

However, Yang admitted the pair communicate through social media DM rather than text, joking, “Look, I’m not on that level.”

The friends were supposed to connect at one of Swift’s recent Eras Tour concerts in Amsterdam.

“I saw Taylor in Amsterdam over the summer and he was supposed to be there,” Yang shared.

“He was really sad that he couldn’t make it. He was like, ‘We’re going to do a reunion!’ And then it just didn’t happen because he had to do sports stuff.”

While Yang noted the couple are “booked up,” he is more than ready to welcome them back to Saturday Night Live. He noted, “They are more than welcome all the time.”