Wes Bergmann had a case of mistaken identity after he was confused for Travis Kelce.
“We live inside a gated community, and I was exiting the gated community in my brand new beautiful truck recently,” the Challenge alum, 39, said on the Monday, February 5, episode of “Rob Has a Podcast,” hosted by Rob Cesternino. “And the paparazzi snapped me and they thought I was Travis Kelce.”
The reality star, who’s a Kansas City native, shared that the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, 34, moved into his neighborhood back in November 2023, months after Kelce began dating Taylor Swift. Bergmann joked the duo are both his “neighbors.” Since Kelce and Swift, also 34, connected, the NFL player’s popularity has skyrocketed, and he’s been photographed near his home on numerous occasions.
While Bergmann and Kelce don’t look that alike, they do both rock a scruffy beard. Bergmann explained that the paparazzi’s confusion led to a picture of him making it onto the internet.
“So they published a picture of me in my car and they said something along the lines of ‘Travis Kelce doesn’t love Taylor Swift as much as Taylor Swift loves Travis Kelce,’” he explained. “So I am apparently his doppelgänger.”
Bergmann’s wife, Amanda Hornick, added that the photo referred to her husband as a “worse for the wear Travis Kelce,” which he pointedly left out.
“I was trying to leave that part out, but thanks, Amanda,” he quipped.
Bergmann has been a longtime fan of the Chiefs, and specifically Kelce.
“I’d like to think that rooting for Travis Kelce has been cool for a long time,” he said. “It is now mainstream cool.”
Bergmann teased that he’s now looking for a new Chiefs player to become his “main guy” now that Kelce has become so popular around the world.
Hornick, 37, and Bergmann, who have been married since 2018, will be cheering for the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, but the pair plan on keeping their fandom low-key.
“I don’t even talk trash anymore, we don’t hype anything up. I don’t give my friends or anybody any bulletin board material,” he said. “We are very excited for the game but we don’t underestimate anybody.”
Bergmann is best known for his countless appearances on MTV’s The Challenge. He cemented himself as a legend with three wins. He most recently appeared on CBS’ The Challenge: USA 2 where he announced his retirement, as he and Hornick were expecting their first child. (The couple welcomed daughter Lucy Jean in September 2023.)
Following his exit from The Challenge: USA, Bergmann told Us Weekly he was serious about saying goodbye to reality TV but planned to tell his little one about his career.
“I almost hesitate to say the word extraordinary, but f–k it. Let’s call a spade a spade. I’m extraordinary … and different and an anomaly,” he said. “Their dad is different and they’re going to stand out and they need to be aware of why. And that comes with pros and cons, and they need to be warned and taught what that means.”
