Kayla Nicole, the influencer and ex-girlfriend of NFL star Travis Kelce, has found herself at the center of a social media controversy. On Thursday night, Nicole deactivated her X account following the resurfacing of a series of screenshots that allegedly showed her using racist and homophobic language in posts from the early 2010s.
The controversy reignited after Nicole’s Halloween costume sparked a reaction among fans of both Kelce and pop icon Taylor Swift. Nicole had recreated Toni Braxton’s look from the “He Wasn’t Man Enough” music video, which many Swift fans—often called Swifties—interpreted as a reference to the 14-time Grammy winner. Some even speculated that Swift took a jab at Nicole in her new song “Opalite” from the album *Life of a Showgirl*.
In the track, Swift sings:
“You couldn’t understand it
Why you felt alone
You were in it for real
She was in her phone
And you were just a pose.”
This led to theories that Nicole’s Braxton-inspired costume was a form of clap back aimed at Swift.
However, Nicole addressed these assumptions on her podcast *PreGame*. The 34-year-old explained that her costume choice referenced a different Taylor and stemmed from a very specific childhood memory.
“I had a white best friend. Her name was Taylor,” Nicole shared. “She had the only house I could go over to as a kid because my mom didn’t play those types of games.”
She recalled a particular moment, saying, “I specifically remember driving home from private school in my uniform in the back of a paddy wagon with Taylor, and her mom was playing this song.”
In that moment, Nicole thought, “Wow, white people listen to Black people’s music as well.”
Her remarks shed new light on the costume choice, emphasizing the personal significance rather than any intended reference to Taylor Swift.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/08/sports/travis-kelces-ex-kayla-nicole-deactivates-x-account/