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Travis Kelce’s ex-girlfriend, Kayle Nicole, has spoken out about the hate she’s received since the NFL star started his relationship with Taylor Swift.
During an episode on NBA star Angel Reese’s Unapologetically Angel podcast, which aired on October 10, Nicole shared her candid reaction to how Swift’s fans have criticized online throughout the last year.
“I would be lying if I said that that level of hate and just online chaos doesn’t impact me,” the sports journalist, who dated the Kansas City Chiefs star off-and-on from 2017 to 2022, said. “It does. Even to this day.”
She then referred to one of her Instagram posts, describing how the comments had been filled with negative remarks about her.
“It’ll be people debating why I’m worthless and how I’ll never be a talented person,” she explained. “And I have no career, and I’m a bum.”
After acknowledging that she ultimately “has nothing to do with” the comments Swifties make about her, she still noted that the criticism is a result of being in the public eye.
“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,” Nicole continued.
When Reese asked her if she’d ever be in a public relationship again, Nicole said no. “I don’t see myself doing that anytime soon,” she said. “People can’t pick out what they don’t know about, and I would just protect my relationships from here on out.”
This isn’t the first time that Nicole has addressed the criticism she received since Swift started dating Kelce in 2023. Earlier this month, she responded to one X (formerly Twitter) account that posted a picture of Nicole without make-up on. The account sarcastically wrote: “Very pretty” and added a vomit emoji.
Nicole chose to hit back at the post with a blunt comment, writing: “YOU WILL NEVER MAKE ME HATE ME. Hang it upppppppp bookie.”
In April, she also took to X to ask trolls to leave her be, hours before Swift released her 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department. “I’m unproblematic. Mind my business,” she wrote. “Never respond to the constant vitriol. Solid as they come & don’t expect a pat on the back for it either.”
Nicole concluded: “Just know everyone has a breaking point & would love for ‘yall’ (because you know exactly who you are) to leave me alone.”
Nicole’s recent comments about dating come amid Kelce’s highly publicized relationship with Swift. The couple started dating in 2023 after Kelce confessed on his podcast that he tried and failed to give Swift a bracelet with his phone number on it at her Eras tour show in Kansas City. After months of speculation, Swift officially confirmed to Time – when being named the publication’s Person of the Year in December 2023 – that she and Kelce were in a relationship.
The pair has since continued to make headlines, with the “Fortnight” singer cheering him on at Arrowhead Stadium earlier this week, during the Chiefs’ game against the New Orleans Saints. She also attended his first two games of the NFL season last month, which were in Missouri.
However, her return to Arrowhead Stadium on October 7 came after she missed two of Kelce’s away games. She’s also approaching the end of her Eras tour’s two-month hiatus, as she’ll be returning to the stage on October 18 in Miami, Florida. The record-breaking tour is officially ending this year, with her last show on December 8 in Vancouver, Canada.
