Travis Kelce's Ex Kayla Nicole Reacts to Hate She’s Received Amid His Romance With Taylor Swift

Kayla Nicole is ready to let the past go.

The sports journalist—who dated Travis Kelce on-and-off between 2017 and 2022—recently detailed what it’s like making an enemy of some Taylor Swift fans, purely from being Travis’ ex.

“I would be lying if I said that that level of hate and just online chaos doesn’t impact me,” she told WNBA player Angel Reese during the Oct. 10 episode of Unapologetically Angel podcast. “It does. Even to this day.”

And while Kayla agreed with Angel that she and Travis broke up on good terms, she noted that her social media is still filled with unsolicited hate comments.

“You could go to my most recent post and it’ll be people debating why I’m worthless and how I’ll never be a talented person,” she added. “And I have no career and I’m a mom.”

But over a year into Taylor and Travis’ public relationship, Kayla has made her peace with the matter. 

“It has nothing to do with me,” she continued. “I think 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.”

This isn’t the first time Kayla has addressed the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and the Eras Tour performer’s relationship. In fact, she recently told off haters point blank. 

“I’m unproblematic—mind my business,” Kayla wrote in an April 2024 X, formerly Twitter, post. “Never respond to the constant vitriol. Solid as they come & don't expect a pat on the back for it either.”

She continued, “Just know everyone has a breaking point & would love for “yall” (because you know exactly who you are) to leave me alone.”

The influencer has even done her best to separate herself from the hysteria of Taylor and Travis’ relationship—unfollowing Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Mahomes on social media shortly after the aforementioned couple went public, and Brittany became swift friends with Taylor. 

“The reality is I know these people in real life,” Kayla Nicole told People in 2023. “And so, in real life, I've communicated to these people why I've had to publicly make the decisions that I made." 

Kayla added that while there is “love” for Patrick, Brittany and Travis—she publicly separated herself out of self-preservation. 

“Things are happening so quickly and so publicly,” she explained. “I have to protect myself. That's really all that is.”

Indeed, Taylor and Travis’ romance has been a whirlwind for everyone. Keep reading for a full look back. 

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."

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."

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."

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."

Accepting Travis' invite, Taylor joined the athlete's mom Donna Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium to 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." 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

The music superstar turned Travis' Dec. 17 game into a family affair, bringing her dad to cheer on her man.

Taylor and Travis spent their first New Year's Eve together, sharing a romantic kiss when the clock struck midnight on Jan. 1.

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.

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."

The pair locked lips on the field after Travis led the Kansas City Chiefs to victory on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas.

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.

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.

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."

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.

The two attended model Karen Elson's wedding to Electric Lady Studios owner Lee Foster in New York City.

The next day, the pair attended the men's singles final match at the U.S. Open.