It’s common for people on the street to mistake celebrities for someone else or accidentally mess up the names of their projects, and I imagine it’s always a bit frustrating when that happens. However, when it’s an A-list celebrity who flubs the title of a project, as Travis Kelce did with Billy Eichner, I totally get why the Billy on the Street host let it slide, because I too would have been too starstruck to correct him.
First, of all, this story involving Eichner, Kelce and Taylor Swift took place at Madonna’s Oscar after-party, so that alone adds its own level of starstruck to the situation. However, it gets even better, because Eichner’s tale that he told on Jimmy Kimmel Live focuses on an absolutely hilarious interaction he had with the Super Bowl camp, and it started like this:
This was Madonna’s afterparty, which goes very late, it starts at midnight. I walk in, and you know, a lot of famous people there, obviously, and the first people I see standing in the center of the party are Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. … They were there, and I don’t know them at all, so I don’t say anything. But I noticed them. Then I’m standing around, mingling at the party, and all of the sudden, I feel a very strong, bro-y pat on my back. … And I turn around – and I’m 6’3”, right? So I’m not used to looking up at people, actors are pretty short. And so I turn around, and I feel this pat on my back, and I turn around, and it’s Travis Kelce.
For context, Travis Kelce is two inches taller and I’d imagine quite a bit heavier than Eichner, because, you know, he’s a football player. So, that added to the shock of the comedian meeting him.
However, it was the New Heights host knowing about his viral show – Billy on the Street – that really took him back, especially because Kelce didn’t get the title 100% correct, as Eichner hilariously explained:
So I turn around, and it’s Travis Kelce, and in a very loud, booming voice, in a house full of the most famous people in the world, Travis Kelce looks at me and goes, ‘Jimmy on the motherfucking street! I love you, man!’ This literally happened, and he’s beaming. He’s so happy to see me. And it’s Travis Kelce, who I’m not expecting him to know who I am at all. And he said ‘Jimmy on the street! I love you man!’ He said it with such confidence that I could not bring myself to correct him.
If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t have corrected him either. Not only because I would be starstruck, but because the slip-up is actually really cute and endearing. Plus, it gave the two of them something to get excited about every time they crossed paths at this party, as the Bros star said:
He looked so happy to see me. I could tell he was a fan. But, he’s Travis Kelce, he’s huge, he’s standing there with Taylor Swift, I didn’t know what to do. And then throughout the night, he kept seeing me, we kept criss-crossing each other, and he kept fist-bumping me.
The Mufasa cast member said Kelce was “lovely” and they continued to fist bump throughout the night – even though the comedian noted that he doesn’t normally communicate via fist bump.
I’d also like to point out that it makes sense that Travis Kelce knew who Billy Eichner was.
The Kansas City Chiefs player is notably a big comedy fan – I mean, he’s going to appear in Happy Gilmore 2 and he and his brother have interviewed a bunch of comedic actors on their podcast.
Plus, Billy on the Street has had major guests like Paul Rudd (who also happens to know Kelce). While his videos don’t have billions of views like Taylor Swift’s music videos, the star-studded episodes have been watched and loved by millions and millions of people. So, I’m not shocked that Kelce has seen the show and is a fan of it (even though he didn’t get the name right).
Now, Billy Eichner has made it clear that the tight end has an open invitation to be on his popular show, humorously telling Jimmy Kimmel:
He has an open invitation to appear with me on ‘Jimmy on the Street’ anytime
So, here’s hoping that if/when Billy on the Street returns it features Travis Kelce running down the street with Billy Eichner yelling at pedestrians. And maybe they can rename it for one episode to honor this truly hilarious slip-up.
However, while we wait for that, there’s plenty to look forward to from both men, as Kelce’s football season continues on the 2024 TV schedule and Eichner’s movie Mufasa premieres on the 2024 movie schedule on December 20.