Travis Kelce’s Ex Kayla Nicole Breaks Silence With Powerful Open Letter Amid His Taylor Swift Romance

Travis Kelce’s ex-girlfriend, Kayla Nicole, has broken her silence amid the attention she’s received in light of the NFL player’s budding romance with Taylor Swift.

The sports broadcaster took to Instagram on Monday, October 9, with a powerful open letter addressed to “Black girl.” Though Kayla, 31, never named Travis, 34, or Taylor, 33, nor did she directly mention her former relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs player, she spoke about what it’s like to receive “backlash” as a Black woman.

“It's always been really important for me to use my platform not to create division, but to elevate and unite women. Black women specifically,” Kayla said in her opening statement. “So I prepared a letter and would like to share it with you today.”

The influencer — who dated Travis on and off from 2017 to 2022 — began the letter, “They may call you a traitor for falling in love. You’ll hope the ones closest will protect you but quickly realize people don’t protect what they don’t value.

“They'll say you're too much, too provocative, too boisterous, too outspoken and in the same breath, tell you that you're not enough, not successful enough, not wholesome enough, maybe not even intelligent enough. They'll say you deserve the backlash and embarrassment because of your blackness. You should have known better. They'll even try to tie your value to your net worth.”

Kayla went on to plead with “Black girl” to remember that “value lies within your heart” and “the way you love.” She also encouraged her listeners to not “engage” with those who try to devalue them.

“You do not have to respond. Because there is power in your silence,” she said. Kayla added that she, too, has had to stop herself from giving in to “this demoralizing and antiquated narrative.”

“When the world gets dark and times get hard, when you feel like your back is against the wall and your hands are tied like nobody knows or understands what it takes to be, you remember that you are a part of something way bigger,” Kayla concluded. “I want you to remember that you are loved, you are valued, you are allowed to take up space. You deserve protection and your feelings, they matter too, solely because you’re a Black girl.”

Kayla received a new sense of social media attention when Travis sparked dating rumors with Taylor in September. The pop star created a buzz when she was spotted at two Kansas City Chiefs games to cheer Travis on. As the relationship began to unfold, many fans turned to look at Travis’ exes, which include Kayla and a model named Maya Benberry.

For her part, Kayla maintained her silence on the matter, although she did seemingly unfollow Travis’ teammate Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, who was seen hanging out with Taylor.

Meanwhile, Maya, who briefly dated Travis after she won his 2016 dating show Catching Kelce, has been more outspoken about the situation. In a September interview with Daily Mail, she warned Taylor to “be smart” and claimed that Travis is a “cheater.” However, a source shot down the cheating accusation, telling Life & Style, “They dated for about five months, there was no time to cheat.”

After receiving backlash for her comments, Maya took to her Instagram Stories a few days later with clarifications.

“I don’t hate Taylor nor am I bitter,” she said. “I got asked about my relationship and I spoke about it because I can. It’s my life and I can speak on it or about it whenever I please. Everything I said now about my experience, I said then after we broke up. So my narrative hasn’t changed nor will it.”