The media personality reveals how she protects her peace when backlash tied to ex Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift threatens to get under her skin.
ByBernadette Giacomazzo
October 24, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Kayla Nicole says she no longer lets online opinions shape her identity, stressing, “I know myself, and the people who love me know me, and that is all that matters.”
- She protects her peace by logging off when she feels tempted to clap back, a strategy she has used amid scrutiny tied to ex Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.
- Nicole continues expanding beyond the drama with The Pre-Game podcast, brand partnerships, and a show in development with E!, declaring, “I’m not changing for anyone.”
Kayla Nicole has spent plenty of time dealing with criticism online, but the media personality says she’s no longer interested in letting strangers dictate how she feels about herself.
In a new interview with OK! published on Friday, October 23, Nicole discussed her approach to social media backlash while promoting her partnership with Smirnoff.
“Everyone has an opinion, but I do not have to fall victim to that,” Nicole said. “I can treat it like a plane in the sky. You’re like, ‘Oh, there’s a plane. Oh, there it goes.’ And then that’s it.”
She continued, “I don’t have to subscribe to it. I don’t have to accept it. I don’t have to make it a part of my identity. I know myself, and the people who love me know me, and that is all that matters in this world.”
Nicole also admitted that she hasn’t always been able to brush off criticism so easily. Early in her entertainment career, she worried about being liked and how others perceived her appearance.
Now, she says that has changed.
“I’m living for me, and my self-confidence is exactly that. It’s rooted in self,” she explained.
The podcast host has also developed a strategy for handling comments that get under her skin.
“If I start to feel like I want to bite back at the comments or respond a little spicy, I know it’s probably a time when I should log out for a bit,” she said.
Nicole has had plenty of opportunities to put that approach into practice.
Her former relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has drawn online discussion since their 2022 breakup, especially after Kelce began dating Taylor Swift in 2023. The couple has since gotten married.
Last Halloween, Nicole recreated Toni Braxton’s “He Wasn’t Man Enough for Me” music video, prompting speculation that she was taking shots at Kelce and Swift. Nicole denied that interpretation, explaining that the costume was inspired by a childhood memory involving a friend named Taylor.
The controversy escalated when older social media posts containing offensive language resurfaced, and Nicole subsequently deactivated her X account.
In February, Nicole appeared in a Super Bowl commercial for Sleeper that referenced her “ex-girlfriend fiasco” and included a joke about the word “swiftly.” She also joined Braxton onstage to perform the same song she recreated for Halloween.
More recently, Nicole faced criticism after describing her breakup with Kelce as potentially a case of “right person, wrong time.” She later posted an Instagram Story telling people who were confused about her personal business not to be concerned.
Outside those headlines, Nicole has continued working on The Pre-Game podcast, brand partnerships, and other entertainment projects.
She told OK! that she’s currently developing a show with E! and reflected on a college professor who once told her that pursuing multiple areas of entertainment wasn’t realistic.
“I think it’s an example of the fact that women, Black women, we’re not a monolith,” Nicole said. “I can do all the things my heart desires.”
As for whether the continued public scrutiny will change her approach, Nicole isn’t planning on it.
“I’m not changing for anyone, no matter what season I’m in,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what hurdle I have to face. I’m always just going to be Kayla.”
