Inside Travis Kelce’s on-off relationship with Kayla Nicole before Taylor Swift

Before his engagement to Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce was in a high-profile, on-again, off-again relationship with sports reporter and podcast host Kayla Nicole.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end and Nicole first connected on Instagram in 2017, beginning a romance that would span five years and multiple breakups before ultimately ending in 2022.

How they met

Nicole previously revealed that Kelce had been “insta-flirting” with her for months before she made the first move. After some encouragement from friends, she sent him a direct message on New Year’s Eve, and the relationship soon followed.

A relationship marked by breakups and reconciliations

The couple’s first public split came in August 2020 amid online speculation. Kelce denied rumors of infidelity at the time, calling the claims “fake news.” By November of that year, they had reconciled, with Kelce referring to Nicole as “my girlfriend” during an Instagram Live, adding, “She’s the absolute best.”

However, in May 2022, they separated again, this time for good. Rumors circulated that financial disagreements contributed to the split, claims Kelce later denied, insisting their relationship was not defined by money and dismissing reports that he had been “too cheap.”

Following their breakup, Nicole appeared to subtly reference her ex in a 2026 Super Bowl advertisement for the fantasy sports brand Sleeper, which humorously centered on helping people get “ex-communicated” after celebrity breakups.

Her career in sports media

Long before dating Kelce, Nicole built her own name in sports journalism. A 2013 Pepperdine University graduate with a degree in broadcast journalism, she has hosted for outlets including ESPN and Barstool Sports. She has covered NBA and NFL events and conducted entertainment interviews with stars such as Will Ferrell and Sterling K. Brown.

Fitness, mental health and reinvention

In the years since the split, Nicole has focused on personal growth and professional expansion. She relaunched her fitness brand, Tribe Therepe, emphasizing “feel-good fitness” and mental health awareness.

She has candidly spoken about struggling emotionally after what she described as a “major breakup,” revealing that rapid weight loss and outward praise masked deeper unhappiness. Therapy, she said, helped her realize that mental health is just as important as physical fitness.

Reality TV win and podcast launch

In February 2025, Nicole won season three of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, describing the experience as a lesson in resilience and mental strength.

She later launched her Dear Media podcast, The Pre-Game, where she addressed dating in the public eye, vowing to keep future relationships private until she is certain about long-term commitment.

“I want to protect the things that mean most to me,” she said.