Travis Kelce is one of the top players in the NFL, but that’s not the only thing he attracts crowds to.
His love life has been in the spotlight since his relationship with Taylor Swift went public in September 2023, when they cheered at the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears game.
According to Page Six insiders, he’s happily dating Swift and even plans to pop the question, but his girlfriend, Kayla Nicole, often finds herself in the spotlight due to their past.
The two first started dating in 2017 and broke up in the summer of 2020, but got back together just a few months later.
Kelce and Nicole appeared to be on the road for a long time, but ultimately called it quits again in May 2022.
Before the Super Bowl champion fell in love with the “Karma” singer, here’s what you need to know about the model who captured his heart.
she is a sports reporter
Lights, camera, Nicole!
After graduating from Pepperdine University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism, Nicole put what she learned to use.
She has reported from the NBA and NFL sidelines for media outlets including Lakers TV, Barstool Sports, and ESPN.
She also dabbled in entertainment news in 2017 when she interviewed Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler while promoting The House.
Nicole also interviewed Sterling K. Brown during the 2019 “Angry Birds 2” press tour.
Additionally, she began writing for I Am Athlete, a new sports and entertainment media venture, starting in the fall of 2024.
she is also a model
The Alabama native has modeled for brands such as Savage X Fenty, Fabletics, Revolve, and Crocs.
In September 2023, she walked the catwalk at Actively Black’s New York Fashion Week runway show sponsored by Runway 7.
“I haven’t been on a runway in years, years, decades. 😂 So it was really nice to celebrate this version of my body,” she wrote on Instagram after the show.
“We made a ringtone together and she hasn’t cheated on me yet. 🫶🏾”
she owns a fitness brand
Nicole owns Tribe Therepe, a fitness brand that combines mental health and physical fitness.
“This focuses on the mental health component of working out, which is really, really important to me and something that really resonates with me and really just encouraging people to take care of themselves mentally,” she told People in October 2023.
“I believe that if your mind is healthy, your body will follow.”
She speaks her mind and aims to uplift your mood
Nicole has around 800,000 followers on Instagram and aims to use her platform for good.
“It’s always been really important to me to use my platform to uplift and unite women, especially Black women, instead of creating division,” she said in a thoughtful Instagram video posted in October 2023.
She continued to defend herself against hate amid backlash from some of Swift’s fans, reminding her fellow Black women to never accept negativity.
“You don’t have to be a part of this eventful and often one-sided journey,” she says.
“Hold your heart. Even if they try to quantify your character and test your limits, you don’t have to engage in it. There is power in your silence, so you don’t have to react.”
“Most importantly, I want you to remember that you are loved, that you are valued, and that you are allowed to take up space,” she concluded.
“You should be protected and your feelings matter too.”
She used to be best friends with Brittany Mahomes
It’s no surprise that Nicole and Brittany Mahomes, wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, were close during Nicole’s relationship with Kelce.
In fact, she served as one of Brittany’s bridesmaids at her 2022 wedding to Patrick.
However, once she and Kelsey became an item, their friendship seemed to fizzle out when Brittany started dating Swift. Nicole also unfollowed a former professional athlete on Instagram in October 2023.
Although Nicole did not reveal her name, she spoke about her clashes with several former fellow NFL WAGs during an appearance on Angel Reese’s podcast Unapologically Angel in October 2024.
“We were cool, but we’re not as cool as we used to be,” she pointed out.
She suffers from online hate
As mentioned above, Kelce and Swift’s relationship brought a lot of negative attention to Nicole, but she has no problem clapping back at the haters.
Nevertheless, she admitted on the October 2024 show “Unapologically Angel” that the “online turmoil” has definitely affected her.
“If you look at my latest posts, you’ll see people discussing why I’m worthless, how I’ll never be a talented person, and why I won’t have a career,” she said.
“I think there’s something about that level of fame that attracts crazy people,” she surmised. “It’s unfortunate because I’ve never done anything that warranted that kind of backlash.”
Nicole, the ‘Cruel Summer’ hitmaker and NFL star, said she was grateful to therapy for helping her stay calm.
“If I hadn’t done that, I don’t know how I would have reacted in this moment,” she said.
She won season 3 of “Special Forces: The World’s Toughest Test.”
Nicole and Brody Jenner won season 3 of Fox’s competition series “Special Forces: The World’s Toughest Test.”
She and other “Hills” alums were the only two of 16 recruits to pass the military exam in the season finale, which aired in February 2025.
“I told myself that if I made it to the final day, going home was no longer an option,” Nicole told Us Weekly of the 10-day challenge. “I had no concept of time, just telling myself, ‘I’ve come this far.'”
“From the interrogation, they film the ending scene and then they take me back to the hotel. I called my family and they’re all so excited that I made it to the end. But then the next thing I knew, I kid you not, I was rocking on the bed and I didn’t know how long I was doing it. I know it’s a little creepy, (but) I was rocking on the bed and calming myself down for probably 15 minutes,” Nicole told the magazine.
she started a podcast
In April 2025, Nicole announced on Instagram that she was starting a podcast called “The Pre-Game.”
“Each week, Kayla Nicole dives into everything you and your girl are really talking about, from pop culture tea talk to ‘what would you do?'” Scenarios that will have you screaming into your cell phone,” reads the show’s description.
“‘The Pre-Game’ is unfiltered, just the right amount of chaos, a shot of tequila, and no apologies. So grab your gloss, pour it, and let’s go pre-game!”
Nicole has guest starred with several celebrities, including Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino, model Tatiana Elizabeth, and Snowfall actor Melvin Gregg.
