Kissgate

From kiss +‎ -gate.

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Kissgate

1. (informal) Any of various scandals involving public figures kissing.
   • 2006 December 16, Tirdad Derakhshani, “SideShow: Your Daily Dose of Gossip”, in Philadelphia Inquirer, page E6:

     Calling Matt Damon "like the least threatening person," Angelina Jolie told Diane Sawyer yesterday on Good Morning America it was no big deal to kiss the Bourne Identity star (on the lips and everything) in their new film, The Good Shepherd, even though Matt is good buds with Angie's real-life love, Brad Pitt. […] Asked about Kissgate, Damon, who was on GMA along with Jolie (and Robert De Niro) was like, "It's weird." He did not say if he was upset at Jolie for saying he's sexually non-threatening.

   • 2011 October 14, Matt Ralston, “Kissgate: where's the love in federal politics?”, in ABC‎^[1], archived from the original on 11 June 2025:

     This, I think, goes to the heart of the problem facing Australian politics right now: a lack of physical intimacy between Members of Parliament. Kissgate - as I am christening this shameful incident, in the spirit of originality so beloved of our political media - is an unusually prominent example, but it is only one manifestation of a common failing.

   • 2019 May 10, A.R. Shaw, “Omari Hardwick finally gets chance to respond”, in Rolling Out‎^[2], archived from the original on 22 October 2020:

     After greeting Jay-Z, Hardwick kissed Beyoncé on the cheek twice. Beyoncé’s fans, known as the BeyHive, pounced on Hardwick for the incident known as “Kissgate.”

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Kissgate.
2. (fandom slang) An incident in 2014 in which a fan surreptitiously photographed Taylor Swift and her friend Karlie Kloss seemingly kissing at a concert.
   • 2019, Brilynn Janckila, "Boys Will Be Boys, Girls Will Be Not Like Other Girls: A Symbolic Convergence Theory Examination of 'Other Girls'", thesis submitted to St. Cloud University, page 59-60:

     Kissgate was proof that Swift is in a same-sex relationship and the men she dates serve as "beards" to uphold her straight image.

   • 2022 November 10, Charlotte Jones, “'Midnights' Analysis”, in Indiana Daily Student‎^[3], page 6:

     "Question...?" could be about Kissgate, a fandom term for the 1975 concert Swift and Karli^[sic] Kloss attended together, caught potentially kissing.

   • 2025, Paula Clare Harper, “15Hearing #Gaylor: Queer Musical (Conspiracy) Theorizing in the Internet Age”, in Christa Bentley, Kate Galloway, Paula Harper, editors, Taylor Swift: The Star, The Songs, The Fans‎^[4], unnumbered page:

     This so-called #kissgate video kicked the investigative work of Kaylors into high gear; they began to scour social media ever more intently for clues.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Kissgate.
3. (sports) The 2023 controversy surrounding several incidents of alleged indecent behaviour (including an uninvited kiss) toward female footballers by Spanish football official Luis Rubiales.
   • 2023 August 26, Emillia Hawkins, “Disgraced Spanish FA chief Luis Rubiales BANNED by Fifa after kissgate row with Jenni Hermoso”, in The Sun‎^[5]:

     SHAMED football chief Luis Rubiales has been BANNED by Fifa over his kissgate scandal. The Spanish FA president kissed Spain World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso on the lips immediately after their final win over England.

   • 2023 September 27, James Robinson, “Jorge Vilda: Former Spain manager to be investigated as part of Luis Rubiales ‘kissgate’ probe”, in Sky News‎^[6]:

     Spain's Women's World Cup winning ex-manager Jorge Vilda is to be investigated as part of the Luis Rubiales “kissgate” probe.

   • 2024 March 28, “Prosecutors pursue ex-FA chief Luis Rubiales with prison term and compensation in ‘Kissgate’ case”, in Mundo Deportivo‎^[7], archived from the original on 10 April 2024:

     Spanish prosecutors have formally declared their intent to pursue a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for Luis Rubiales, the former chief of the country's Soccer Association (FA), in connection to the controversial ‘Kissgate’ incident.

   • 2025 February 3, Gerard Couzens, “Jenni Hermoso tells court Luis Rubiales unwanted kiss was Spain FA chief 'abusing' position”, in Mirror‎^[8], archived from the original on 3 August 2025:

     Rubiales looked on impassively as Hermoso took the stand on day one of the much-anticipated ‘Kissgate’ trial to claim he had done something which was “wrong” as a superior and had contributed to leaving her “completely unprotected” as he and his management team tried to salvage their reputations in the ensuing media storm.