The Shady Side Of Travis Kelce's Ex Kayla Nicole

While Taylor Swift famously assembled a prolific number of high-profile ex-boyfriends, her current beau Travis Kelce’s romantic history is far less eventful. Only two past girlfriends are known to the public, and the first was the winner of his own “Bachelor”-esque dating show, “Chasing Kelce,” that barely lasted a month. His second, however, was far more serious. In fact, the Kansas City Chiefs icon dated model, influencer, and TV personality Kayla Nicole for five years before the pair went their separate ways in 2022.

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Having won the survival reality show “Special Forces,” launching her own podcast, “The Pre-Game,” and founding her own wellness brand, Nicole is fast becoming a tabloid sensation herself. And she’s certainly not afraid to tell it like it is. From calling out underperforming football players and mocking the president of the United States to unflattering Halloween impersonations and supporting her one-time beau’s sporting rivals, here’s a look at 12 times the multi-talented former WAG got shady.

Kayla Nicole sure set the cat among the pigeons when she attended the 2025 Super Bowl, engaging in some very salty behavior. The model had, of course, dated one of the game’s star men, Travis Kelce, for five years. But instead of rooting for his team, the Kansas City Chiefs, she made it loud and clear that she was supporting their rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles.

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According to the Daily Mail, Nicole was heard yelling “Fly, Eagles, Fly” during the game while in the stands of New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome. After the final seconds, she was spotted on the field of play in discussion with their winning coach Nick Sirianni and throwing confetti — in the Eagles’ midnight green colors — up in the air.

So, was this a very public act of revenge? Or is Nicole really a genuine longtime Eagles fan? Well, in an Instagram message posted soon after, she claimed she’d simply immersed herself in the spectacle. “The collective excitement of fans and the high stakes of the match-up create an atmosphere that makes you physically feel the pulse of the game,” the “Special Forces” star wrote. “There’s no bad seat in the house because every person in that stadium — whether they have a dog in the fight or not — is hyped to have a seat at a table in history.”

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Kayla Nicole has been relatively cordial about Taylor Swift since the chart-topper started dating her ex-boyfriend, Travis Kelce. She even once claimed to be a fan of the “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” singer. But there have been the odd occasions when she appears to have expressed her hurt at how things have unfolded.

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In 2024, the Pepperdine University graduate unfollowed Brittany and Patrick Mahomes — the power couple whose wedding she served as a bridesmaid at — on Instagram. Although she told People that there was still love between them, many interpreted the gesture as a retaliation against their continued friendship with Kelce and Swift.

Furthermore, RadarOnline reported that when asked whether she was still pals with the Kansas City Chiefs’ WAGs now that she was no longer one herself, Nicole replied, “We are not as cool as we once were.” While she didn’t mention any specific names, the Mahomes were widely deemed to be her main point of reference.

Hell hath no fury like a “Special Forces” winner scorned. While appearing on WNBA player Angel Reese’s podcast “Unapologetically Angel” in 2024, Kayla Nicole was asked about the pettiest thing she’d ever done over a relationship. And the guest was positively boastful about how she once got back at an ex.

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“I was dating a guy, and he dumped me through a text message, and he dumped me for this singer/actress,” Nicole said without naming any names. The model explained she’d been left distraught having relocated to the Big Apple, especially to be with the unknown man in question. And so later that year, she decided that the best form of revenge was … to dress up for Halloween as the “other woman.” Having admitted that the photo evidence was still online, listeners inevitably started speculating and soon discovered snaps of Nicole impersonating Teyana Taylor, the R&B vocalist previously wed to Iman Shumpert of the New York Knicks.

As you’d expect, the woman who’d been mimicked didn’t exactly appreciate getting caught up in all the drama. “She knew exactly what she was doing,” Taylor wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post (via Complex). “That lady said ‘she was famous at the time’ … It was very distasteful and uncalled for. Most importantly she knew people would dig. So automatically my name is attached to the nonsense.” The singer then threw some shade herself with another clapback soundtracked by Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.

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As anyone who’s ever expressed even the merest hint of negativity toward them will already be aware, the devoted fan base known as Swifties are a law unto themselves. Kayla Nicole was either brave or foolish while guesting on Sydel Curry-Lee and Cameron Brink’s podcast “Straight to Cam” when she put her head above the parapet to send them a fiery message.

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“I also think people need to start doing psych evaluations before you can create a new Instagram account with a fake profile and a weird picture,” Nicole argued (via Yahoo! Lifestyle) about the amount of internet abuse she’s received since her ex-boyfriend Travis Kelce started going out with Grammy-winning superstar Taylor Swift. “You should have to be psych evaluated!”

Nicole had previously spoken about such targeted behavior during her appearance on Angel Reese’s podcast “Unapologetically Angel.” “I think that there’s something about that level of fame that attracts crazy people. And it’s unfortunate because I’ve never done anything to warrant that kind of backlash.”

While Taylor Swift always appeared apprehensive about wading into the 2024 presidential election debate, her partner Travis Kelce’s ex-girlfriend continually pledged her allegiance loud and proud. Indeed, Kayla Nicole regularly took to social media to vocalize both her support for Kamala Harris and, perhaps even more notably, her complete and utter disdain for Donald Trump. 

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In fact, the Pepperdine University graduate even mentioned the prospect of leaving the country once it was confirmed that Trump had ascended to the White House for a second term. “I’m thinking Australia,” she revealed (via the Daily Mail) in an Instagram post uploaded shortly after the results. And soon after, she questioned how the 43rd and 45th U.S. President could have been allowed to run in the first place.

‘If you’re a convicted felon, you’re not even allowed to work as a teacher, a pilot, a healthcare official,” Nicole remarked in a video, referring to Trump’s “hush money” scandal. “You’re not allowed to work in law enforcement. But you can run the United States of America however you want if it makes America great again. Bunch of f***ing clowns.”

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Kayla Nicole sure didn’t hold back when discussing the state of her love life with People magazine in 2025. The wellness influencer, who famously dated Kansas City Chiefs hero Travis Kelce for five years before he moved on to Taylor Swift, not only swore off the athletic profession, but she also swore off the entire male race.

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Nicole advised anyone currently dating an athlete to put their well-being and goals above their partner’s, adding, “We make it seem like it’s such a glamorous lifestyle, but at the end of the day, it’s another human, and it’s another man.” The “Special Forces” victor then turned her attention to the male of the species in general.

“I will stand on this hill that dating men in general is a challenge,” stated Nicole, who has become renowned for living a lavish life. “So I don’t care what his job is. If he’s an athlete, a doctor, a lawyer, he works at FedEx. Good luck.” The Tribe Therepē founder then concluded her comments by boldly declaring, “It’s men that are the problem these days.”

Before subjecting themselves to the harshness of military training for the third season of “Special Forces,” Kayla Nicole and Cam Newton had got into a battle of the virtual kind. Indeed, in 2022, the former made sure to give the latter — who famously made a bitter exit from the NFL — a piece of her mind after the quarterback made questionable comments about women many construed to be sexist.

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The furor began when Newton, appearing on the podcast “Million Dollaz Worth of Game,” argued that women need to cater to a man’s needs for a relationship to work. Nicole certainly didn’t agree, tweeting, “The obsession with women being able to cook is truly comical. Cause it’s like if your palate is so superior date a Michelin star chef then bozo.”

Nicole wasn’t done there, either. In an Instagram Live session, she expressed her frustrations (via Us Weekly) at how men assess the opposite sex. “I think it’s foolish that we have to keep having the same tired conversation about the qualities that make a woman of substance. This man said that you need to be able to cook and to be quiet because that’s what his mama did. Like boy, go date your mama then.”

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You sure can’t get anything past the rabid fanbase known as Swifties. In 2025, their beloved pop star was seen accompanying basketball hero Caitlin Clark in the VIP suite at the game where Taylor Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce was on the field helping the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional playoff. Soon after, her army noticed that her WNBA pal was down one pretty significant Instagram follower: Kayla Nicole.

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Indeed, you could chalk it down to mere coincidence or perhaps the social media equivalent of a butt dial. Or, like the Swifties, you could interpret that Nicole — who famously dated Kelce for five years — wasn’t happy with the company that the Indiana Fever point guard was now keeping and had joined the list of people who can’t stand Caitlin Clark.

Either way, Nicole came under fire for this apparent act of internet pettiness. “She’s bothered to be unbothered seriously!” argued one Swiftie (via the Daily Mail). “She wants to create a drama again after unfollowing CC.” “She ever gonna move on from him lol,” queried another, hinting that the “Special Forces” star was still smitten with her ex. However, none of the parties involved have ever referred to the matter publicly.

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You have to feel sorry for the poor nail technician who was no doubt only trying to make small talk while attending to Travis Kelce’s former on-again and off-again girlfriend, Kayla Nicole. Nicole publicly called out her technician on Instagram for having the gall to ask about a particular holiday.

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Indeed, in early 2025, Nicole took to the photo-sharing platform to upload a video about the encounter in question. “My nail lady had the nerve to ask me today, on January 57th, if I have plans for Valentine’s Day,” “The Pre-Game” podcast host told her followers (via Sports Illustrated). She then zoomed the camera closer to her disgruntled face to let everyone know exactly how she felt about such talk.

“Don’t piss me off,” Nicole remarked before a video caption that read “No” made it crystal clear that her diary was very still much open on the romantic holiday. In a 2024 appearance on the podcast “Behind the Likes,” the fashion influencer revealed that while she’s now done dating athletes, she’s open to a relationship with a film or record producer.

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In 2025, the University of Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava tried to push his luck with a planned renegotiation of his already lucrative NIL deal. The football player had previously signed a record-breaking $8 million four-year deal with the college back in 2022. Yet, with several players smashing the financial ceiling since then, Iamaleava decided that it was time to open up contract talks again.

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So, what does this have to do with Kayla Nicole, you may ask? Well, in a prime example of how she can throw shade with only a handful of words, the wellness influencer took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to offer a pointed response. “Nobody ever bigger than the program baby,” she wrote in response to the story, referring to how, instead of caving into the sportsman’s demands, the college had instead opted to give him his marching orders.

Nicole was only parroting a line that the team’s coach, Josh Heupel, had said about the decision. But she couldn’t be accused of not knowing her stuff. Following her graduation from Pepperdine University, she began reporting for the likes of Barstool Sports and ESPN on both the NBA and the NFL. 

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In January 2025, Kayla Nicole hinted that contrary to various reports, there really might not be any hard feelings between herself and ex-boyfriend Travis Kelce when she praised the Kansas City Chiefs star for his skills on the pitch. Instead, she saved her shadiness for one of his fellow tight ends.

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Indeed, just a few days earlier, Mark Andrews agonizingly fumbled a fourth-quarter pass that would otherwise have tied the Baltimore Ravens with the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional playoffs. “It’s impossible to adequately express how I feel,” the sportsman later admitted about the failure to convert two vital points on Instagram. “I’m absolutely gutted by what happened on Sunday. I’m devastated for my teammates, my coaches and Ravens fans.”

Nicole had no problems further sticking the knife in, however, when she appeared on the podcast “I Am Athlete.” When asked about the form of the Chiefs, who’d just beaten the Houston Texans in the playoffs, the model replied (via Page Six), “They have guys they can throw the ball to who aren’t going to drop the ball in the end zone.” Although she didn’t name Andrews specifically, most listeners interpreted this as a major dig in his direction.

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Kayla Nicole may be happy to vouch for her ex-boyfriend Travis Kelce’s credentials on the football field while guesting on a podcast. But that doesn’t mean she necessarily wants to boost his ego in person. In fact, during an appearance on Angel Reese’s “Unapologetically Angel,” the fashion influencer claimed that she’s unlikely to ever talk to him again.

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“I’d probably hit him with a head nod that’s about it,” Nicole revealed when asked by the WNBA star what would happen if their paths ever crossed again. She went on to explain that both parties are on the same page and that they’re both unwilling to give the media any more ammunition.

“We’ve seen each other in public spaces,” Nicole added about the man who she once accidentally confirmed she’s still not over. “But I think that we’re both aware of the nature of his new situation that there is just no room really for us to communicate or really acknowledge each other publicly without it being spun into something crazy. So, we just keep it moving.”