Overview

• On Aug. 13, Swift told the New Heights podcast she was not the person in the bear suit, calling the popular theory flattering but false.
• Stunt performer Brandon Alan Smith confirmed he wore the costume and reacted to Swift praising the bear acting as "exquisite" during her podcast appearance.
• Smith said he did not realize he was working with NFL star Travis Kelce at the time of the shoot.
• He described an alternate take that showed the bear licking Kelce and said a large tongue prop was originally attached to the suit but did not appear in the final cut.
• The sequence occurs in a dream scenario during Kelce’s waiter cameo, with Bad Bunny’s character covering him in honey before a bear appears in the Netflix sequel.