From Paul Rudd (Chiefs) to E-40 (49ers), meet celebrity fans of each Super Bowl 58 team
Super Bowl halftime performer Usher won't be the only celebrity at Super Bowl 58.
The who's who of Hollywood will flock to Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium on Sunday for the matchup between the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. Although tickets to get into the big game are the most expensive in history, averaging around $9,619 on the secondary market, no price is going to get in the way of these celebrities and their beloved teams.
The most notable celebrity fan is global superstar Taylor Swift, a Pennsylvania native who appears to have renounced her Philadelphia Eagles fandom to cheer on her beau, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. "Football is awesome, it turns out I’ve been missing out my whole life," Swift said in December.
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Some celebrity fans are hometown products born and raised as NFL fans, while others found their own special connections and made the teams their own. Here's a list of celebrity fans of the Chiefs and 49ers:
Kansas City Chiefs celebrity fans
Paul Rudd
"Hey, look at us. Who would’ve thought?" the Chiefs would make it to their fourth Super Bowl appearance in five years. Well, Rudd surely did. The Kansas City superfan never misses the chance to declare his love for Patrick Mahomes. "It is strange for someone my age to look at someone his age and just love him so much. If it wasn't just for the sports thing, it would be creepy," he said in 2022. Rudd presented Mahomes with the 2018 MVP award and even narrated the Chiefs' 2007 season of HBO's "Hard Knocks."
Rudd was on hand for the Chiefs' Super Bowl wins in 2020 and 2023 with his son, Jack, who said after Kansas City's Super Bowl 57 win over the Philadelphia Eagles last year, "I just want to thank Patrick Mahomes for existing … I can't believe he's a real person."
Eric Stonestreet
Have you ever heard of Andy Reid's long-lost brother, Randy Reid? Well its actually "Modern Family" star Eric Stonestreet, who has an uncanny resemblance to Reid. He happens to be a Chiefs fan in real life. The Kansas City native has season tickets above the same seats he sat in with his father as a kid. His love for his hometown sports teams runs deep – Stonestreet joined the ownership group of the Kansas City Royals in 2019.
Following the Chiefs' Super Bowl 57 win over the Eagles last year, Stonestreet said: "I'm so happy for Andy (Reid). I'm so happy for Patrick (Mahomes) … It means so much for Kansas City. You know how much I love that city. I'm so proud of them and for all of us as fans. Been a living, diehard fan for a long time."
Heidi Gardner
Gardner was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri and said her fandom dates back to age 7. The "Saturday Night Live" cast member wrote an ode to Mahomes after the Chiefs' Super Bowl 54 victory: "He’s a cut above and we are so lucky to have him. I’m so inspired by his leadership and the fact that he never gives up."
Jason Sudeikis
The "Ted Lasso" star is a known as Chiefs superfan. He attended Shawnee Mission West High School (the same school Paul Rudd attended) in Overland Park, Kansas.
"Kansas City just is part of my soul. It’s where I’m from. It’s where I was raised, it’s where my folks live and where a lot of good and bad things have happened to me and many other people," he said following an Emmy win for best comedy in 2022 for "Ted Lasso."
As for Ted Lasso's advice for the battered Chiefs: "More ice baths."
Jason Sudeikis is one of many die-hard celebrity Kansas City Chiefs fans. He shares his favorite memories as a fan and what message Ted Lasso would have for the team this year. pic.twitter.com/o5NrbzGCqH
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) October 22, 2021
Rob Riggle
Noticing a trend of funny Chiefs fans yet? Well here's another.
Riggle grew up in Overland Park, Kansas, and graduated from the University of Kansas in 1992. "I'm a huge Kansas City Chiefs fan. These are the greatest days of my life," he said in 2021. He took to Instagram to congratulate the Chiefs on another Super Bowl berth: "Back in the Super Bowl! So proud of those 'road warrior' Chiefs!"
Henry Winkler
"The Fonz" is a Mahomes superfan. He "roots for that team, even though I've never lived there" because of the Chiefs quarterback specifically.
And if you ever wondered if celebrities get starstruck, the answer is yes. Winkler said he was "thrilled out of his mind" to meet Mahomes for the first time ahead of a game in November 2022.
@Chiefs pic.twitter.com/BgOqjf0GNZ
— Henry Winkler (@hwinkler4real) November 21, 2022
Melissa Etheridge
Etheridge was born in Leavenworth, Kansas, and frequently shows her support to her team with her voice. She sang the national anthem prior to the Chiefs' AFC title game against the New England Patriots at Arrowhead Stadium in 2019. She even created an Andy Reid-inspired song called "Chocolate Cake" in 2022.
Debuting her new single for Andy Reid and the @Chiefs, titled 𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑪𝒂𝒌𝒆 ....
Ladies and gentlemen, Melissa Etheridge.@metheridge | @gmfb pic.twitter.com/YR3EVTnKBp— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) January 26, 2022
Henry Cavill
The Chiefs have a superfan in Henry Cavill, aka Superman! Cavill is from Great Britain, and since he doesn't have a hometown team to cheer for, the actor who plays the superhero in "Man of Steel" took up roots in Clark Kent's fictional home town of Smallville, Kansas. (Sorry, Steelers!)
"I spent a lot of time in America learning to enjoy football. I realized I had to choose a team," Cavill explained in 2018. "I figured, 'Superman is from Kansas.' I was playing Superman at the time, and it just made sense to me."
Superman is a Chiefs fan. 👀 Henry Cavill representing on gameday. pic.twitter.com/diCPdVkgO1
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) November 19, 2017
Brad Pitt
The Oscar winning actor was born in Oklahoma, but he grew up in Springfield, Missouri, and attended the University of Missouri. Pitt sported a Chiefs hat on the 2020 SAG Awards red carpet and triumphantly declared, "My Chiefs are going to the Super Bowl."
Tech N9ne
Tech N9ne, a native of Kansas City, Missouri, has made an empire for himself through his Strange Music label all while making sure the world knows he's a proud Kansas City fan. The rapper performed at the team's wild-card game in 2021. He released the Chiefs anthem "Red Kingdom" in 2019 and another one, "Twas the Night Before Christmas" in December.
San Francisco 49ers celebrity fans
Saweetie
Rapper Saweetie is ready to "Tap In" to the Super Bowl to cheer on her team. The Santa Clara, California, native has been a staple at Levi's Stadium this season and even teamed up with fellow Bay Area rapper P-Lo to create the 49ers playoffs anthem "Do It For The Bay" in January, where she raps, "You ain't gotta ask who I do it for / Home team iced out / Dipped in that red and gold."
E-40
Rapper E-40 was born and raised in Vallejo, California, and is a known superfan for all Bay Area teams, including the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco Giants and, you guessed it, the San Francisco 49ers. E-40 was on hand for the 49ers' NFC championship game win over the Detroit Lions, where he wore a jacket that said "Faithful to The Bay" and celebrated with players on the field afterward.
"We going to the Big Dance! Bang Bang NinerGang," he captioned a photo on Instagram.
Vice President Kamala Harris
VP Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California, and served as the district attorney of San Francisco (2004-2011), attorney general of California (2011-2017) and the U.S. Senator fromCalifornia (2017-2021) before being elected the first female vice president under President Joe Biden in 2020. Although Harris calls Washington D.C. home now, she is still repping her Bay Area roots.
"All season long, my @49ers have shown grit and determination on the field. And now, they’re headed back to the Super Bowl. Congratulations to the entire team!" she posted following their NFC championship game win.
All season long, my @49ers have shown grit and determination on the field. And now, they’re headed back to the Super Bowl. Congratulations to the entire team! #FTTB
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) January 29, 2024
Harry Shum Jr.
The "Grey's Anatomy" actor's fandom for the 49ers is creating problems at his workplace. Shum, who was born in Costa Rica and moved to San Francisco when he was 6, shared a video of his character Dr. Benson "Blue" Kwan and Anthony Hill's character Dr. Winston Ndugu (a Chiefs fan) having an epic stare down over their team loyalties.
Actress Ellen Pompeo, who plays Dr. Meredith Grey on the show, commented, "You know I LOVE YOU …BUT listen up fam ….we have a problem….we are Swifties … sorry I meant Chiefs fans over here at @greysabc… we are going to have to have a talk. Sincerely, your boss."
Andy Samberg
"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" star Andy Samberg is a native of Berkley, California. "I'm from the Bay Area so I'm a big 49ers fan, he said in 2014. As much as he loves the 49ers, Samberg openly dislikes the Seattle Seahawks, who are also in the NFC West. In 2014, he notoriously said "the Seattle Seahawks can get bent" on the "Late Show With David Letterman."
Dave Franco, Alison Brie
Franco was born and raised in Palo Alto, California, and is a self-proclaimed diehard 49ers fan. Franco jokingly said he would be onboard to play Brock Purdy in any future biopic. "If you give me some lifts (for height), we can do this... Put it out in the universe, I'm in."
Franco's wife, Alison Brie, is also a 49ers fan due to her husband's allegiance. He said she ordered a vintage 49ers hat on eBay "just to pretend she's been a fan for a long time" after the first game they watched together.
We're McLovin this ❤️
Dave Franco and @MintzPlasse in the house for #MINvsSF! pic.twitter.com/H4zwgkLXnj— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 11, 2020
Jeremy Renner
The Chiefs might have Superman, but the 49ers have Hawkeye. The actor behind the Marvel superhero is a lifelong 49ers fan, and he plans to attend Super Bowl 58. He's also pretty confident they will bring the Lombardi Trophy back to San Francisco. The Modesto, California native told People Magazine, "It’s a very good chance for us and we’ve got a great squad and we’re healthy. So unlike last year, (when) all fell apart for us, which is heartbreaking."
#49ers @49erMark49 with Jeremy Renner pic.twitter.com/ihkDLdupUF
— 49erMark (@49erMark49) November 17, 2015
Contributing: Victoria Hernandez
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chiefs, 49ers celebrity fans: Stars root on Super Bowl 2024 teams