Gross reason Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, is being shamed online

Travis Kelce has issued the perfect response after loved-up photos of him and Taylor Swift on holiday went viral for a sad reason.

Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, NFL player Travis Kelce, is being body-shamed over recent shirtless photos of him at the beach.

The athlete who just won the Super Bowl has been on vacation with Swift in the Bahamas, and people online were quick to describe him as someone with a “dad body.”

If you’re unfamiliar with the slang, the term “dad bod” is up for a bit of interpretation, but it typically describes a male physique that is somewhat slim but not lean or toned and may include a hint a beer belly.

Travis is an elite athlete. Even when he isn’t training, he is far fitter than the average person. Yet, online he isn’t just being told he has a “dad bod”, he is also being ruthlessly body-shamed, with people leaving brutal comments about his weight.

Of course, Travis looks great and healthy, but he doesn’t have a six-pack, which has become the Hollywood body standard for what a leading man looks like.

Travis and Taylor have been on vacation together. Picture: Backgrid

Travis doesn’t seem too phased by the commentary, with the sports star addressing the situation on a recent episode of his podcast New Heights, which he co-hosts with his brother Jason.

He opened up about his post-season weight gain. The brothers were bantering over who could drink more and Jason revealed he weighs almost 130 kilograms.

Travis, who usually sits around 110 kilograms during his playing season, revealed he’d gained some weight.

“We’re in the same weight class now! It’s March! We’re in the same weight class right now,” he declared.

The reference to March is Travis’ way of pointing out that he isn’t currently in training and can relax for a few months.

His brother Jason revealed his own weight on the podcast. Picture: YouTube/New Heights

Travis is enjoying his off season. Picture: YouTube/New Heights

Psychologist Carly Dober said that people feel more comfortable directly commenting on men’s bodies than women’s bodies.

“There is also a culture of joking about men’s weight to their faces in ways that are unacceptable in other spaces,” she told news.com.au.

“It can often be underestimated how hurtful and harmful this is for men, and this is why body shaming of men is perpetuated.”

Ms Dober also said that commenting on men’s bodies is just as dangerous as commenting on women’s bodies.

“Men often have significant body image issues and poor relationships with their body,” she said.

Ms Dober pointed out that men have just been socialised not to talk about their body image issues or seek help.

“The social narrative around this has been changing now for some time. However, men have high rates clinically of eating disorders and body dysmorphia,” she explained.

Travis is an athlete and is still being body shamed. Picture: Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP

The issue is rife and most recently, actor Taylor Lautner revealed the tough reality of being body-shamed online and the toll it has taken on him.

Lautner, 32, was a breakout star in the 2008 blockbuster Twilight. He played the werewolf Jacob and spent most of the movie shirtless.

At the height of the film’s success, his body was the modern male beauty standard and he became known for having a six pack – and he was constantly asked about it and praised because of it.

Taylor Lautner said the body shaming got to him. Picture: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

His role as Jacob in Twilight is iconic. Picture: New Moon

He recently opened up about how starring in those movies led to some body image issues on his podcast, The Squeeze, which he co-hosts with his wife.

“When I was in it, when I was 16 through 20 years old, starring in this franchise where my character is known for taking his shirt off every other second, no, I did not know that it was affecting me or going to affect me in the future with body image. But now, looking back at it, of course, it did, and of course, it is going to,” he said.

Lautner said that to stay fit for the films he spent his “entire life” going to the gym and being on a diet to keep himself bulked up.

“So yeah, that wasn’t my natural body. I had to work very hard for it and very, very hard to maintain it,” he said.

Once he stopped with the rigorous training, his body began to change again.

“What happens when you don’t want to see a gym? You start losing the eight-pack. I started having more normal of a body,” he said.

Originally published as Gross reason Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, is being shamed online