Sports journalist Kayla Nicole is stepping into the spotlight once again, but this time in a completely different arena, reality television.
The former girlfriend of NFL star Travis Kelce has been cast in the upcoming third season of “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” a celebrity competition show on Fox and Hulu that pushes 16 stars to their physical and emotional limits.
In a newly released trailer, it seems that Kayla is at her wits end, tearing up talking about past experiences.
In bits and pieces of the promotion, she candidly discussed the challenges she’s faced since her high-profile breakup with Kansas City Chiefs star player Travis Kelce, who is now dating music icon Taylor Swift, describing the end of their five-year relationship.
“Going through a public breakup it’s been overwhelming,” she stated, likely referring to hundreds of headlines about why they broke up.
In one clip, Kayla even whispers to a fellow contestant the identity of her famous ex, prompting many on social media to scoff at her pain— and suggest she’s milking the soured relationship for 15 minutes more of fame.
“Kayla is such a clout chaser. Her 15 minutes of fame is long over. She has no talent and this is all she can do is talk about her ex. She brings NOTHING to the table and this is what she will forever be remembered for the ex that wouldn’t move on it’s her ONLY claim to fame,” one person wrote on YouTube, adding, “She should be embarrassed… 5/2022 is when they broke up ffs. When this airs it will be almost 3 YEARS!! She is the only one making it a public breakup by continually mentioning it because of his now very much MORE famous girlfriend. Because her ex hasn’t mentioned her. This is such a narcissistic move.”
Another person commented, “real cringe from Kayla Nicole. still crying over an ex from 3 years ago.”
A third comment gave context to reasons why she might have been shedding tears, writing, “Less about the ex and more about the overwhelming hate thrown her way for simply existing. But also, Taylor Swift cried abt her exes two years later too sooooo.”
An example of that type of hate can be seen on the X platform, where one user with the handle @FakeKaylaNicole wrote, “lol she should have said Taylor Swifts boyfriend [laughing emojis] Girl is off the hinges!” when the trailer was released.
lol she should have said Taylor Swifts boyfriend😂😂🤣😂🤣 Girl is off the hinges!
— Justagirlwithanopinion (@FakeKaylaNicole) November 27, 2024
Kayla and Travis dated on and off for five years, beginning in 2017. The couple was known for their public appearances at games, on red carpets and social media posts, which often highlighted their playful dynamic. However, their relationship got rocking and ultimately ended in 2022.
Rumors suggested that they broke up because Travis was extremely cheap and made her pay half on everything. Travis has denied being tightfisted.
“Do I look I would go 50/50 on bills?!” she said on Angel Reese’s “Unapologetically Angel” podcast. “That was never an issue in our relationship, but it was definitely a rumor on the internet.”
Reports suggested that trust issues played a significant role in their breakup, though neither party confirmed specific reasons publicly. Despite their separation, both have spoken positively about their time together.
Kayla Nicole tells Angel Reese that she would never go 50/50 on bills with Travis Kelce 😂
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) October 10, 2024
Via @angelreeseshow pic.twitter.com/FVESPLb4Mh
The fitness professional has emphasized personal growth and self-discovery post-breakup, but even in that, fans urge her to simply stop speaking about the relationship.
Recently, she talked about how she lost some of her friendships with the football wives and girlfriends (WAGs) because she was no longer with the tight end.
After saying she felt “pushed out” of the circle, one person wrote “Friendships change when relationships change…” and another said bluntly, “You are no longer dating a footballer no need to be in the circle.”
While the logic echoes loudly in this incident, not being in the WAGs group isn’t what has brought the 33-year-old so much grief. She believes she has been bullied.
While on Reese’s podcast, the Tribe Therapy owner said, “I would be lying if I said that that level of hate and just online chaos doesn’t impact me. It does. Even to this day.”
She continued, “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.”
Kayla then addressed why people dislike her so much, stating it is about the pop star and athlete’s relationship, despite it having “nothing to do” with her.
She theorized, “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.”
Whether or not the reality show will be therapeutic for her, getting her past the relationship and satisfying fans desire to have her stop talking about Travis, remains to be seen.
In addition to Kayla, Denise Richards, Stephen Baldwin, Brody Jenner, Cam Newton, and Kyla Pratt are among the celebrities cast on the show. It premieres on Wednesday, January 8, at 8 p.m. ET in a two-hour episode on Fox.
