Travis Kelce’s Ex Kayla Nicole Shuts Down Rumor About Reason for Their Breakup

Kayla Nicole is throwing a flag on rumors about her previous relationship with Travis Kelce.

The sports broadcaster recently responded to online rumors that her five-year relationship with the Super Bowl champion ended because he was too “cheap” and wanted her to pay for part of their dates. 

“Do I look like anybody that would split anything?” Kayla asked on the Oct. 10 episode of her Unapologetically Angel podcast. “No, this is the question. Do I look like I would go 50/50 on bills?”

The 32-year-old directly called the idea false, reminding fans that Travis—who has been dating Taylor Swift for more than a year—had previously dispelled the same comments in a January 2023 appearance of The Pivot podcast.

“Yeah, that was never an issue in our relationship,” Kayla continued. “It was definitely a rumor on the internet. He addressed that too though. I don’t even know why that even became a thing.”

At the time, Travis called the rumors “crazy,” and told people, “Don’t buy into that s--t!”

Regardless of their money matters, Kayla encouraged fans to handle their own relationships however they see fit.

“To each his own,” she shared. “If people like to split their bills with their man, I think that’s what you should do. I don’t do that.” 

And while finances weren’t an issue with her and Travis, the journalist experienced other problems since their split. Kayla explained how much online hate she receives due to being Travis’ ex, and the emotional toll it takes on her.

“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 said. "I would be lying if I said that that level of hate and just, like, online chaos didn't impact me, it does. Even to this day.”

But despite the difficulty of dealing with online trolls, Kayla has worked hard to relieve herself of any blame.

“It has nothing to do with me,” she shared. “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.”

Indeed, Taylor and Travis’ love story has had an impact on the world at large. Keep reading for a full timeline of their romance. 

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.