Oscars 2026: Josh Allen, Hailee Steinfeld, Travis Kelce, and Taylor Swift’s Absence in LA Explained

Hollywood’s biggest night, the 98th Academy Awards, took place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday. And, as expected, the red carpet was star-studded. However, the National Football League had a less prominent slice of the pie in terms of star presence this time around.

The night was glitzy, and celebrities from Emma Stone and Anne Hathaway to Elle Fanning and many others brought their A-game and owned the glam arrivals. However, much to the disappointment of football fans, two popular NFL power couples — Josh Allen and Hailee Steinfeld, and Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift — were nowhere to be seen.

Naturally, the obvious question started doing the rounds. Why did they skip the event?

Well, Steinfeld was not nominated for an individual Academy Award in this edition. However, her film Sinners had a huge night heading in, earning a whopping 16 nominations. Even though the movie picked up just two Golden Globes earlier, many expected it to have a major presence at the Oscars.

That turned out to be true, with Sinners taking home four trophies, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, who played Steinfeld’s love interest in the film. Still, Steinfeld did not attend the ceremony.

The reason appears to be personal. Reports suggest her baby’s due date is approaching, which most likely kept her from traveling to the event.

Steinfeld’s absence was definitely noticed, especially at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party. And fans shared their disappointment that she and Allen couldn’t make it. The last time the two made a red carpet appearance was at the NFL Honors last year.

NEW: Buffalo #Bills star quarterback Josh Allen and his fiancé Hailee Steinfeld are on the red carpet at #NFL honors.

Allen is an MVP finalist. pic.twitter.com/roZdPuNXCb

— MLFootball (@MLFootball) February 7, 2025

Then there’s Swift and Kelce. The couple, who have been dating for three years and are now engaged, have never attended the Oscars together or individually. However, they did make an appearance at a star-studded afterparty in 2024.

This year, though, they skipped. The reason could be simple. Neither Swift nor Kelce was nominated for an award or scheduled to present one during the ceremony. On top of that, their reported wedding date of June 13, 2026, is getting closer. So they may simply be keeping a low profile for now.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have reportedly finalized June 13, 2026, as their official wedding date. pic.twitter.com/BDuOZay8HB

— Hoops Crave (@HoopsCrave) March 1, 2026

Kelce has decided to return to the NFL for his 14th season. With what could potentially be his final year in the league approaching, his focus might already be fully on football.

Of course, there is always next year. And if the timing works out, fans might finally get to see both of these NFL power couples light up the Oscars red carpet. That kind of moment would definitely send social media, as well as the NFL world, into a frenzy.