If there’s one thing Kayla Nicole is gonna do, it’s shake it off.
Hours after her ex-boyfriend Travis Kelce announced his engagement to Taylor Swift, fans were curious what route the sports reporter might take. So when she reshared a video of Tracee Ellis Ross talking about choosing joy, rather than just happiness, in life, well the armchair analysts had thoughts.
With some 14 million fans double-tapping the couple’s shared Aug. 26 announcement within the first hour, safe to assume the haters were gonna hate, hate, hate whatever the NFL tight end’s former girlfriend posted on her social media. But she never missed a beat.
“Read about this very concept years ago in a book called Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough,” Kayla detailed in the Aug. 26 post. “I aspire! So so good.”
And, at this point, the 33-year-old knows all too well that her social media activity is going to be dissected.
“It’s pretty constant, exhausting,” she detailed en route to winning season three of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test alongside Brody Jenner earlier this year. “Constantly. It doesn’t matter. I could post about the sky being blue and people will have a response about an ex and their new situation.”
And when said ex is a three-time Super Bowl champion and his new situation is one of the world’s most famous pop stars, who happened to have just accepted his flower-filled proposal, it can be hard to keep your head in the game.
“It’s inadvertently affecting me to the point where it makes me question just like my overall value as a person,” she said of the constant nit-picking. The toughest part, she continued is “just the comparison” to the 14-time Grammy winner. “I think I’m still trying to figure out how to deal with it.”
Not that the influencer sees Taylor as her opponent. Rather she’s very much enchanted with her.
“I really, like, like her,” she admitted on Special Forces. “I think she’s very talented.”
Though the sport reporter-slash-influencer-slash-model-slash-podcaster is pretty skilled in her own right. For those unfamiliar with the multi-hyphenate and the Xs and Os of her and Travis’ pairing, we’re breaking down all the plays.
What does Kayla Nicole do for work?
Much like her former boyfriend, the multi-hyphenate can hustle. Graduating from California’s Pepperdine University in 2013 with a degree in broadcast journalism, “hosting is where my heart is,” she shared in a 2018 Instagram video of herself reporting outside of L.A.’s Staples Center in a Kobe Bryant jersey.
She’s taken to the field, covering both the NBA and the NFL for the likes of Barstool Sports and ESPN. And proving she has more than one move, she’s interviewed celebrities like Amy Poehler, Will Ferrell and Sterling K. Brown.
Now a well-known figure herself, the model-slash-influencer has served as an ambassador for brands including Revolve, Crocs, Savage X Fenty, Alo and her own fitness line.
Re-launching Tribe Therepe in 2023, she told People, “It’s focusing on the mental health component of working out, which is really, really important for me.”
Because she had recently, ahem, gone through a “major breakup” and “lost a substantial amount of weight within a very short amount of time” while neglecting the rest of her health.
These days, though, she’s embracing the wins.
Despite a lifelong love of fitness, “For years I hesitated and resisted being in the wellness/fitness space because I felt I wasn’t good enough,” she admitted in a December 2024 post. “I needed to lose weight first, get my abs back, have zero cellulite. Blah blah blah. And I hate that for me because the reality is I’m human (as are you) and of course we all have room for improvement. But if you’re waiting to be perfect you will be waiting for forever.”
How long did Travis Kelce and Kayla Nicole date?
The pair huddled up for five years, though there were some time-outs. One came in 2020, with Ohio-bred Travis batting down a rumor that he hadn’t been a loyal teammate.
Sharing an article accusing him of cheating, he tweeted that August, “This is fake news…a lie…and not why Kayla and I broke up…take all your hatred somewhere else please.”
By that November, the duo were back in the game, Travis referring to Kayla as “my girlfriend” while filming an Instagram live with WNBA basketball player Chiney Ogwumike, calling her “the absolute best.”
Why did Travis Kelce and Kayla Nicole break up?
After a few false starts, the pair hung up their metaphorical pads for good in May 2022, Travis once again forced to defend himself.
“I would never say that I was supporting her,” he outlined during a January 2023 appearance on The Pivot Podcast, responding to a rumor that he forced her to pay for half of everything when they dated. “She had a very financially stable life and what she was doing in her career.”
But he wasn’t stingy with the assists.
“We were in a relationship for five years,” he insisted. “A hundred dollars here, a hundred dollars there wasn’t even thought about.”
Kayla also threw down a flag on the rumor.
“Do I look like anybody that would split anything?” Kayla asked on an October 2024 episode of Angel Reese‘s Unapologetically Angel podcast. “No, this is the question. Do I look like I would go 50/50 on bills?”
Is Kayla Nicole single?
Between juggling her podcast The Pre-Game, launched with Dear Media in April 2025, and other gigs—like her winning turn on Special Forces—Kayla is on the hunt for her ideal teammate.
“I am like John Cena now with men,” Kayla, detailed on her podcast April 3, responding to a fan question about her dating life. “You don’t see me. You don’t see me with a man. And you won’t ever see me with a man ever again until I’m married with kids.”
That’s her game plan, and she’s sticking to it.
“I am out here dating and hiding,” Kayla insisted. “I’m the queen of a private room in a back room in a corner closet. And I have no shame in it.”
Her ex, meanwhile, wants the world to know that Taylor is his, his, his, his lover. They’ve loved each other three summers now, and we’ve documented ’em all.
July 2023: So, Make the Friendship Bracelets
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s love story began in July 2023, when the singer’s Eras Tour made a stop at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
As a huge Swiftie, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end caught the show with hopes of giving Taylor a friendship bracelet with his number on it. However, he failed to complete the pass due to her pre-show rituals.
“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings,” Travis shared on the July 26 episode of his New Heights podcast. “So, I was a little butt-hurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her.”
Summer 2023: This Is Him Trying
After publicly recounting his fumble—a move Taylor would later describe as “metal as hell”—Travis decided to shoot his shot and invite the Grammy winner to watch the Chiefs play at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I threw it out there, I threw the ball in her court,” he shared on The Pat McAfee Show. “I told her, you know, ‘I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead and see which one’s a little more lit.’ So, we’ll see what happens in the near future.”
August 2023: Enchanted to Meet You
Travis was rocking a mustache—which he debuted in August during training camp—when he was first introduced to Taylor.
As he later noted of the era, “That ‘stache and the 87 jersey was pretty iconic there for a little bit, and I had it when I met Taylor for the first time.”
September 2023: Sparks Fly
By early September, a source close to the situation told E! News that Travis and Taylor were “texting and talking here and there.”
“It’s been very low-key,” the insider explained, “as he’s been in season.”
September 2023: Cheer Captain
Accepting Travis’ invite, Taylor joined the athlete’s mom Donna Kelce at Arrowhead Stadiumto watch him and the Chiefs take on the Chicago Bears. After the game, Taylor and Travis were seen packing PDA at a local bar.
Though folklore had it that it was the couple’s first in-person meeting, the “Karma” singer later clarified the two had spent a “significant amount of time” getting to know each other beforehand.
As Taylor noted, “We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.”
October 2023: Team Up
As an indication that the relationship was heating up, Taylor brought her squad—including friends Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Sophie Turner, Hugh Jackman, Sabrina Carpenter and Antoni Porowski—to watch the Chiefs play against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
October 2023: It’s Nice to Have a Friend
Another sign that Travis could be The 1? Taylor started bonding with Brittany Mahomes—the wife of Travis’ BFF and teammate Patrick Mahomes—in and outside of NFL games.
October 2023: Welcome to New York
The couple took their romance to TV, making a surprise appearance on the Oct. 14 episode of Saturday Night Live. Their Big Apple takeover also included the after-party for the NBC sketch show and a date night at the Waverly Inn.
November 2023: Karma Is Her Boyfriend
During a bye week, Travis traveled down to Argentina to catch the South American leg of Taylor’s Eras Tour. Not only did the NFL star bond with Taylor’s dad, Scott Swift,at the Nov. 11 show in Buenos Aires, but he also got a special shoutout from the stage.
“Karma is that guy on the Chiefs,” Taylor sang, “coming straight home to me.”
After the show, the Midnights artist was seen running up to Travis backstage and greeting him with a passionate kiss.
December 2023: Speak Now
Taylor addressed the lavender craze surrounding her appearances at Travis’ games.
“I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care,” she told Time. “The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone.”
December 2023: You, Who Charmed Her Dad
The music superstar turned Travis’ Dec. 17 game into a family affair, bringing her dad to cheer on her man.
January 2024: All the Midnights
Taylor and Travis spent their first New Year’s Eve together, sharing a romantic kiss when the clock struck midnight on Jan. 1.
January 2024: Chosen Family
Continuing to bond with Travis’ family, Taylor hung out with his brother Jason Kelce and sister-in-law Kylie Kelce at the Chiefs’ game against the Buffalo Bills.
January 2024: Saved by the Perfect Kiss
Taylor joined Travis on the football field when the Chiefs won the AFC Championship, a victory that cemented the team’s spot in the 2024 Super Bowl. The couple shared a celebratory kiss before exchanging the L-word.
“Tay, I’m gonna enjoy with the guys,” he told her. “I love you—so much it’s not funny.”
February 2024: Super Bowl Champs
The pair locked lips on the field after Travis led the Kansas City Chiefs to victory on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas.
February 2024: TikTok Official
Taylor posted footage of Travis on social media for the first time Feb. 12, poking fun at how she took her parents clubbing with the athlete after the Super Bowl.
June 2024: Instagram Official
Taylor’s first Instagram pic featuring Travis was a selfie of the two with Prince William and his and wife Kate Middleton‘s eldest kids Prince George and Princess Charlotte backstage at the singer’s Eras tour show at Wembley Stadium in London.
June 2024: Travis’ Eras Tour Stage Debut
While attending his seventh Eras tour concert, and second show at London’s Wembley Stadium, the NFL star joined his girlfriend onstage as a backup performer during her performance of “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”
September 2024: Back in the Game
Taylor joined Travis for the Chief’s first game of the regular 2024-25 season and appeared to re-enact a PDA moment from October 2023 in this photo shared by Chariah Gordon, who is pictured with her boyfriend, Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman.
September 2024: Wedding Date
The two attended model Karen Elson‘s wedding to Electric Lady Studios owner Lee Foster in New York City.
September 2024: U.S. Open Date
The next day, the pair attended the men’s singles final match at the U.S. Open.
October 2024: Double Date
The two stepped out for a double dinner date with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in NYC.
December 2024: Empire State of Mind
The pair stepped out for two back-to-back dates in New York City over the last weekend of 2024, matching outfits both times.
March 2025: Off-Season Adventures
The pair spent the NFL off-season together, enjoying a snowy vacation to Montana with sportscaster Erin Andrews.
July 2025: Instagram Hard Launch
Travis posted his first pics with Taylor on Instagram in July 2025, including an adorable shot of them at dinner—which subtly revealed their phone lockscreen pics of one another.
August: 2025: Taking Their Romance to New Heights
Self-described New Heights superfan Taylor made her debut on Travis and Jason’s podcast in a nearly two-hour-long special episode Aug. 13. In addition to very candidly detailing their life together—in and out of the spotlight—Taylor also revealed her 12th studio album The Life of a Showgirl, set to debut Oct. 3.
August 2025: It’s a Love Story, Baby Just Said Yes
More than two years after Travis’ podcast shoutout heard ’round the world, Travis and Taylor announced they are engaged. Making a cheeky reference to her song “So High School.” the two captioned the Aug. 26 Instagram post featuring their engagement photos, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”
