The on-air reporter was in an on-again, off-again relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs player for five years.

Get to know Kayla Nicole, the former girlfriend of NFL star Travis Kelce.

The on-air reporter and record-breaking tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs started dating in 2017 and were in an on-again, off-again relationship for five years.

Following rumors of their breakup, including that they parted ways for financial reasons, the Ohio native set the record straight during an interview with The Pivot Podcast in January 2023.

“Don’t buy into that s—,” Kelce said to the hosts.

Kelce is now dating Taylor Swift and Nicole has made an effort to “move forward” with her life. This included unfollowing friends Brittany and Patrick Mahomes on Instagram.

Here’s everything to know about Nicole, from her journalism background to her career in fashion.

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She graduated from Pepperdine University

Nicole has had a passion for sports long before meeting Kelce and even went to school to pursue a career in the field. She posted a “friendly reminder” on her Instagram in 2018, letting her followers know that she graduated from Pepperdine University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism.

“Hosting is where my heart is,” she captioned a video of herself sporting a Laker’s jersey while reporting from outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

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She’s an on-air sports journalist

Upon graduating from Pepperdine, Nicole landed hosting gigs at sports media outlets including ESPN and Barstool Sports, among others. While she’s created a name for herself reporting courtside on the NBA and on the sidelines for NFL coverage, Nicole has also covered entertainment news as well.

She interviewed Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler for Global Grind during their 2017 press tour for The House and Sterling K. Brown during his 2019 press tour for Angry Bird 2.

She’s a fashion influencer
In addition to her work in media, Nicole has also pursued a career in modeling and is an ambassador for several fashion brands, including Revolve, Crocs and Savage X Fenty.

Nicole shares her work on her Instagram, where she also posts her love of fitness and working out. Additionally, the model runs a fitness brand Strong Is Sexy.

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She met Kelce on Instagram

While it remains unclear when Nicole and Kelce initially met, Nicole previously revealed that they first connected through Instagram. “He had been following me and insta-flirting for a few months,” she revealed in a since-deleted Instagram Story captured by TMZ.

“All double taps and no dm. Soooo after a little liquid courage and a pep talk from @iqueenb (something along the lines of ‘WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR’) I dm’d him on New Years.”

She had an on-again, off-again relationship with Kelce.

After their initial Instagram DMs, Kelce and Nicole started dating in 2017. In the years that followed, they broke up and got back together several times.

August 2020 marked the first time the couple split. Kelce confirmed the breakup news after fans speculated about their split when Nicole deleted pictures of the football player on her Instagram a week prior.

The confirmation came amid rumors that Kelce cheated on Nicole with a “Becky,” which he denied in a now-deleted tweet. “This is fake news… a lie… and not why Kayla and I broke up,” Kelce wrote on Twitter, per a screenshot from TMZ. “Take all your hatred somewhere else please.”

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A few months later, the pair got back together that November. Kelce confirmed their reconciliation when he referred to Nicole as “my girlfriend” during an Instagram Live with WNBA basketball player Chiney Ogwumike. “She’s the best,” Kelce said about Nicole. “She’s the absolute best.”

In May 2022, the couple broke up again. At the time, Barstool Sports alleged that the reason for their split was that Kelce forced Nicole to pay for “half of everything” while they were dating.

However, during an interview with The Pivot Podcast in January 2023, Kelce denied that he was “too cheap,” adding, “don’t buy into that s—.” He continued, “I would never say that I was supporting her. She had a very financially stable life and what she was doing in her career.”

He added, “But you’ve got to be crazy if you’d think I would never helped or gave her a couple thousand to grab some food or she gave me some money to go get some food…. we were in a relationship for five years. A hundred dollars here, a hundred dollars there wasn’t even thought about.”

She has stayed friends with a few NFL WAGS
While dating Kelce, Nicole befriended a slew of NFL wives and girlfriends. She’s stayed friends with some and hit rough patches with others.

In October 2023, fans noted that Nicole unfollowed Kelce’s teammate Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, on Instagram. The news came after Brittany stepped out with Kelce’s girlfriend Taylor Swift for dinner in N.Y.C. alongside Blake Lively and Sophie Turner.

Amid speculation that a falling out had occurred between the two friends, Nicole exclusively told PEOPLE that “the reality” of their situation is much more complex — and that she’s addressed the situation privately with Brittany.

“That’s a lot of history and friendship there, that doesn’t change overnight,” she explained. “But publicly, because things are happening so quickly and so publicly, I have to protect myself. That’s really all that is. The love is still there.”

Ahead of Super Bowl LVIII, Nicole reunited with a few wives of San Francisco 49ers players. Fans suggested this was a jab at Kelce, considering the Chiefs were playing the 49ers in the big game.

She uses her platform to speak her truth
On Oct. 9, Nicole read a thoughtful message she wrote in a video posted to Instagram. The open letter was penned to Black girls amid the “backlash” she’s gotten from online trolls as her ex-boyfriend Kelce.

“It’s always been really important for me to use my platform, not to create division, but to elevate and unite women, Black women specifically,” she said to the camera before beginning her address.

“Dear Black girl, they may call you a traitor for falling in love. You’ll hope the ones closest will protect you, but you will quickly find out that people don’t protect what they don’t value. They’ll say you’re too much, too provocative, too boisterous, too outspoken, and in the same breath, tell you that you aren’t enough.”

Nicole continued in part, “They’ll say you deserve the backlash and embarrassment. Because of your Blackness, you should have known better. They’ll even try to tie your value to your net worth. But Black girl, please remember your value lies elsewhere. Your value is deep within your heart.”

She has her own fitness brand
In October 2023, Nicole revealed to PEOPLE that she is “very excited” to be relaunching her fitness brand, Tribe Therepe, based on “feel-good fitness” by incorporating the tools she’s learned in therapy into the workout routines she shares with her followers.

“It’s focusing on the mental health component of working out, which is really, really important for me and really resonates with me, and really just encouraging people to mentally take care of themselves,” she said, explaining, “I think that when your mind is in a healthy place, your body will follow.”

Following her “major breakup” and “major life change,” Nicole said that she “lost a substantial amount of weight within a very short amount of time” and wasn’t sleeping or eating. “I’m posting content and people are like, ‘You look so good. Tell us your tricks. You look amazing.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m miserable. I’m miserable. I’m depressed,’ ” Nicole admitted. “My abs were amazing, I had a six-pack. And it was like, ‘I had never felt so bad in my life.’ “

“So, I started going to therapy and quickly realized, okay, it’s one thing to be physically fit, but it’s another thing to be mentally fit. You could be in the best shape of your life, but mentally, if you are not a healthy person, it’s not going to feel good.”

She is “done” dating athletes
Nicole is interested in dating “men in positions of power” who aren’t athletes, she shared during an interview on the Behind the Likes podcast in January 2024.

“I’ll never say never, but I fully, wholeheartedly believe that I am out of the athlete stage,” she said. “I do think that I am attracted to men in positions of power, and I also think that those types of men are attracted to me.”

She added that she still was interested in attending sports games with her future partner and sharing that passion together.

“I would love to date an executive of a record label or a movie producer so that we can go to the sporting events,” she said. “Let date night be courtside at the Laker game; that’s my kind of guy.”

Let’s fast forward to a lot of football jersey sales later.

 

Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce’s merch is reaching new heights in the United Kingdom, and the Chiefs tight end was quick to thank his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, for the assist.

While discussing the spike in sales during the Dec. 13 episode of their New Heights podcast, Jason asked his brother, “A lot of Swifties over there in the U.K.?”

“There’s gotta be,” Travis replied. “Only reasonable solution to all of this.”

Since Taylor and Travis began dating, many Swifties have taken a newfound interest in the NFL, and the Kansas City star in particular, likely leading to an increase in sales.

As for Jason, who plays for the Eagles, he thinks there may be a glitch over his shirt purchases—humbly suggesting on the podcast that people may be snagging his jersey because they think he’s dating Taylor instead of his brother.

“No, they’re all Kylie Kelce fans,” Travis quipped back. “Shoutout to Kylie, shoutout to Taylor. Thank you guys.”

Travis has certainly been the lucky one since his whirlwind relationship with Taylor went public in September, but the “Karma” singer also seems stuck in a lavender haze.

“We’re just proud of each other,” the singer told TIME magazine in her Person of the Year profile published on Dec. 6. “When you say a relationship is public, that means 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.”

Most recently, Taylor was by Travis’ side when he struck out and was crawling home after his loss against the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 10. Later that evening, the couple was spotted packing on the PDA at a Christmas party in Missouri.

And although she’s currently on a break from her tour, the NFL player did travel to support Taylor during the Argentina leg of the Eras Tour. He was only able to see one show due to inclement weather, but the guy on the Chiefs had a great time beside Scott Swift in the V.I.P tent on Nov. 12.

Read on for why a million little shining stars may have aligned for this perfect pair.

No. 1: He’s a Swiftie

Long before Taylor Swift’s attendance at Kansas City Chief’s Sept. 25 game became one of the definitive pop culture moments of the year, Travis Kelce was an admirer of the Grammy winner.

The star tight end’s interest in Taylor was first revealed by one of his teammates in a TikTok video posted by the Chiefs in August.

Before Travis could answer the prompt of who his celebrity crush was when he was growing up, wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling spilled, “Taylor Swift!”

Travis smiled at the camera before holding his finger up to his moustache, saying, “Alright now!”

Plus, Travis was just one of many celebs to attend Taylor’s record-breaking Eras Tour this summer. But more on that enchanting moment in a bit…

No. 2: He’s Not Her Usual Type (on Paper)

While he does have that daydream look in his eyes (especially when he sees Taylor on the big-screen at one of his games), Travis stands out a bit when you look back at Taylor’s dating history.

She is typically attracted to creative types, including actors (Joe Alwyn, Jake Gyllenhaal, Taylor Lautner and Tom Hiddleston) and musicians (Calvin Harris, John Mayer, Harry Styles, and, most recently, Matt Healey).

But perhaps that’s why her romance with the lighthearted and cheeky athlete—who signed a four-year deal worth $57 million in 2020—feels like such a refreshing option for Taylor after her six-year uber-private relationship with Joe came to an end this past April.

No. 3: He Publicly Pursued Her

Looks like the 8-time Pro Bowler’s wishes came true after he all but manifested his rumored romance with the superstar through sheer will, determination and declarations of infatuation.

Travis publicly aired his failed attempt to shoot his shot and talk to Taylor when he attended the Kansas City stop on her Eras Tour July 7. As it turns out, he had a special gift for her: He made her a friendship bracelet bearing his “number” that he hoped to give Taylor. (He wouldn’t definitely say if it was his jersey number or phone number.)

Alas, the NFL’s best tight end couldn’t get past the line of scrimmage that is Taylor’s 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.”

Despite his claim that he failed to reach the end-zone, many fans speculated that the two had been talking, something Travis more or less confirmed during a Sept. 22 appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

“I threw it out there, I threw the ball in her court,” he explained. “I told her, ‘I’ve seen you rock the stage at Arrowhead. You might have to come see me rock the stage at Arrowhead and see which one’s a little more lit.’ We’ll see what happens in the near future.”

No. 4: She Isn’t In Hiding

Since her breakup with Joe, Taylor has been seen out and about much more frequently, including outings with friends in New York City and jubilant appearances at award shows, like the 2023 MTV VMAs.

But her most talked-about appearance? Sitting in Travis’ suite at the Kansas City Chief’s Sept. 24 home game against the Chicago Bears.

Rather than shy away from the attention, Taylor cheered, screamed “Let’s f–king go!” when Travis scored a touchdown and enjoyed beverages and a chicken tender with as one fan called it “ketchup and seemingly ranch.”

Like the public, even Travis admitted he was caught off-guard by Taylor accepting his invite.

“Shoutout to Taylor for pulling up, that was pretty ballsy,” Travis said during the Sept. 27 episode of the New Heights podcast. “I just thought it was awesome how everyone in the suite had nothing but great things to say about her, the friends and family.”

“She looked amazing,” he added. ” It was definitely a game I will remember, that’s for damn sure.”

After the game, Travis and Taylor were spotted leaving the stadium together in his convertible.

“We just slid off in the getaway car at the end,” said Travis, notably referencing Taylor’s hit song.”Shoutout to Taylor for coming through and seeing me rock the stage.”

No. 5: He Knows When to Pull Back

While Travis isn’t afraid to spill some tea on his podcast about his interactions with Taylor, he still expressed his boundaries about addressing his personal life moving forward.

“I know I brought all this attention to me,” he explained. “I did the whole friendship bracelet thing and told everyone how butthurt I was that I didn’t get to meet Taylor.” However, he continued, he didn’t plan to give a full play-by-play of their relationship.

“What’s real is that it is my personal life and I want to respect both of our lives,” he explained. “I’m enjoying life and I sure as hell enjoyed this weekend. So everything moving forward, I think me talking about sports and saying ‘alright nah’ will have to be where I keep it.”

But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t willing to respectfully call out the NFL for not exactly being delicate with their coverage of Taylor’s recent interest in, ahem, football.

“They’re overdoing it a little bit for sure—especially my situation,” he said during the Oct. 4 episode of New Heights. “But I think they’re just trying to have fun with it.”

No. 6: He’s Family-Oriented

Like Taylor, who is close with her parents, particularly her mother Andrea, Travis hails from a tight-knit fam, including his parents Ed and Donna Kelce.

Donna became a beloved public figure when she became the first mother to have two sons playing against each other in a Super Bowl, when Travis faced off against his older brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce in the big game this past February.

“For all the stars to align and for them to get through high school and college and the pros. And for them to both play in the Pro Bowl and to play in the Super Bowl, and then for this to happen,” Donna told ET at the time. “This is just like a dream come true. I can’t express enough how special this is for the family and it’s just crazy.”

For the big game, Donna, who was married to Ed for 25 years before they divorced, supported both of her sons by wearing a half-black, half-red Eagles and Chiefs jacket.

After the Super Bowl, which saw the Chiefs best the Eagles, Travis and Jason got emotional while reflecting on sharing the experience with Donna.

“The moment I saw mom is when I got really emotional,” Jason said on the brothers’ New Heights podcast. “It was so awesome…She was on top of the world for a week.”

“She was the heavyweight champ man,” Travis added. “She was on top of it, and she shined the whole time.”

No. 7: He’s Super-Close With His Brother

Like Taylor and her younger brother Austin, Travis has a special bond with his older brother Jason, who inspired him to play football.

In addition to their impressive careers as NFL players, Travis and Jason launched their podcast New Heights in September 2022, a project that has only strengthened their relationship.

“What this did was gave us a scheduled 2-3 hour window where we have to talk to each other and we have to talk about what we’re going through, throughout the week and throughout the games,” Travis told NBC Sports in February. “It’s almost been like therapy, man.”

No. 8: They Have a Mutual Friend

Sure, the pair technically never met until this year, but there have been a few invisible strings tying them together.

Taylor and Travis both count Miles Teller as a friend, with the Top Gun: Maverick star and his wife Keleigh Sperry even being recruited by Taylor to star in the music video for “I Bet You Think About Me” off Red (Taylor’s Version) in 2021.

Travis, meanwhile, joined Miles and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes for golfing practice ahead of the American Century Championship in 2022.

Miles tweeted a photo of himself on the golf course with the athletes, writing, “Grip it and rip it.” Travis proved the bromance was real when he reposted the shot and added, “Back at it like we never left!!”

(Interestingly enough, Miles is a noted diehard Philadelphia Eagles fans, so perhaps he put in a word with Jason to broker an IRL meet-up between Travis and Taylor?)

No. 9: The Squad Is Shipping

While Taylor attended the Sept. 24 game solo, she brought an entourage of celebrity friends with her when she attended the Chiefs’ match-up against the New York Jets at New Jersey’s Metlife Stadium on Oct. 1.

She was accompanied by BFFs Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds and his friend Hugh Jackman, as well as Sophie Turner, Sabrina Carpenter and Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski.

While their attendance at the game spoke volumes, even more telling was Ryan following Travis on Instagram.