Who is Kayla Nicole? All about Travis Kelce’s ex-girlfriend as fans spam her comments section after his engagement to Taylor Swift

Hours after Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement on Instagram on August 26, fans quickly turned their attention to his ex-girlfriend, Kayla Nicole. A sports journalist, internet personality, and fitness enthusiast, Nicole shared a video reflecting on the idea of choosing joy over happiness.

In the clip, actress Tracee Ellis Ross discussed the distinction between the two, sparking speculation among followers about the timing of Kayla’s post.

“I think joy is different from happiness. I feel like happiness is something you can get at 7-11, and joy is something that you earn and work for and takes practice. I feel like joy has legs. I feel like joy has feet. I feel like joy has roots,” the 52-year-old Ross stated.

The Girlfriends star continued that joy creates space and allows room for “more than just a good day.” Tracee called joy an attitude, a perspective, and a lens through which she lived and looked at her life.

Kayla Nicole wrote in her own caption how she read about Ross’ concept years ago in a book called Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough. Travis Kelce’s ex added, “I aspire! So, so good.”

Kelce and Nicole dated on and off between 2017 and 2022.

More about Kayla Nicole amid her viral post following Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement

Kayla Nicole, 33, is an on-air reporter, sports commentator, model, fitness and lifestyle influencer, and media personality. She is the founder of the health and wellness brand Tribe Therepe and the host of The Pre-Game Podcast. Nicole is active on Instagram with over 843,000 followers and is an alumna of Pepperdine University.

Kayla Nicole began dating Travis Kelce, 35, in 2017 after he entered her Instagram DM and they exchanged flirty texts. During a February 2022 interview with E! News, the NFL star stated:

“I was just stalking her, and then finally on New Year's, she gave in. And, you know, New Year, new me. She just shot her shot, jumped in my DMs, and the rest is history.”

For the first three years, the couple was in a steady relationship. However, in August 2020, they broke up after rumors surfaced that Kelce had reportedly cheated on her. However, he refuted the claims via X.

"This is fake news...a lie...and not why Kayla and I broke up... take all your hatred somewhere else please," he wrote in a since-removed tweet.

Subsequently, the pair got back together, only to break up again in May 2022. At the time, Barstool Sports reported the split was due to an alleged financial dispute. However, both Nicole and Kelce denied the claim.

In April 2025, Kayla Nicole shared in her own podcast episode that she wishes to remain single, unless she is sure her next relationship will lead to marriage and a family.

“I am like John Cena now with men. You don’t see me. You don’t see me with a man, and you will never see me with a man until I’m married with kids. Scout’s honor,” the influencer stated.

She continued that people might perceive this as “being sneaky,” but she was just protecting herself and her potential suitors.

“I don’t think I ever want to publicly date another man until I am absolutely sure that they are my long-term person, just because I want to protect the things that mean the most to me,” Kayla added.

Nicole also shared she didn’t mind attending this year’s Super Bowl, despite knowing Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs were playing. She said she didn’t think twice about it as it was the “biggest day in sports” and “biggest game of all the games.”

However, back in November 2024, Kayla Nicole appeared on the Fox reality series Special Forces: World's Toughest Test and shared that going through a “public breakup” with Travis Kelce was “overwhelming.” A month before that, the journalist told Angel Reese on her podcast Unapologetically Angel that she was affected by “the level of hate” and “online chaos” after Travis began dating Taylor Swift.

"Even to this day, you can go to my most recent post and it will be people debating each other why I am worthless, why I'll never be a talented person, and I have no career," Kayla Nicole stated.

She also dismissed the rumor that money was ever an “issue” in her relationship with Kelce. The Chiefs tight end similarly denied it during his January 2023 appearance on The Pivot Podcast. He called it “crazy” and asked people not to “buy into that sh*t.”

Trending

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift announced their engagement on Tuesday, after two years of dating. The joint post that had five images of the proposal from a garden in Missouri was captioned, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.” Travis’ father, Ed, confirmed to ABC that the engagement happened in June.

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