Travis Kelce's Ex-Girlfriend Can't Escape Their Past Romance

Travis Kelce's ex-girlfriend Kayla Nicole is a sports journalist and podcaster who also started a wellness brand called Tribe Therepē. She's also fashion influencer, so it's unsurprising that Kayla Nicole has served some head-turning looks over the years. But despite her professional accomplishments, people continue to focus on her personal life. Specifically, her former relationship with Kelce.

Nicole was in an on-and-off relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end from 2017 until 2022. After their breakup, Kelce moved on with pop superstar Taylor Swift, and the internet has been buzzing about Nicole ever since. "Sometimes I will click an article if I feel the headline is so sensationalized," she shared with People in October 2025. "My mouth almost drops when I see some things about me ... It's pretty disheartening." 

It seems as though the media won't stop asking her about the NFL star, whether or not she has any interest in talking about him, which has created some awkward red carpet moments for the Pepperdine graduate. At a House of Champion event in September, Nicole was asked by a Daily Mail reporter if she had a comment on Swift and Kelce's engagement, which had been announced in August. "Oh, no, no, no, but I'm really happy to be here at Champion, though! This is a dope party," she replied.

When Taylor Swift released her album "The Life of a Showgirl" in October 2025, she brought drama into Kayla Nicole's life via some seemingly shady lyrics. In the song "Opalite," Swift sings, "You couldn't understand it, why you felt alone. You were in it for real, she was in her phone and you were just a pose." Upon the song's release, Page Six reported that a fan posted a now-deleted video on X, showing Kelce and Nicole bickering because she was filming a video instead of drinking her wine. "Get off your phone ... You're not even drinking your wine anymore, can we go?" Kelce reportedly said at one point. 

As annoying as it must be to continually be asked about your ex and referenced in his fiancée's songs, Nicole has tried not to stress about it. On an episode of her podcast "The Pregame with Kayla Nicole," which premiered after Swift's album dropped, she spoke about something Mariah Carey said in reference to people obsessing about her life. "She was like, 'It's just so strange — if people wanna talk about me and that's what they want to do with their lives, then okay. Let them do it,'" Nicole mused. But she also admitted that looking at social media had become painful for her. "I am on a daily basis terrified of my comments, I'm terrified of my DMs. I don't want to be triggered, I don't want to care," Nicole revealed.