Travis Kelce's Ex Kayla Nicole Under Fire For New Swimsuit Snap

Over the weekend, Kayla Nicole -- who dated Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce before Taylor Swift -- dropped some sizzling snaps on Instagram, showing off a white bikini and a chic Chanel headscarf to her 787k followers.

While she kept the location under wraps, fans couldn't help but notice one tiny detail... a starfish was strategically placed on her.

After dropping the swimsuit snap, social media users wasted no time in slamming Kayla Nicole for using the starfish as a prop in her photoshoot.

Instagram users didn't hold back, with many bashing Kayla for taking the starfish out of the water. Opinions flooded the comments section as people called her out for using the marine creature in the shoot.

"Kayla ilysm but I am passionate about not picking up the starfish. The oil/chemicals on your skin can be harmful to them, and when you take them out of the water, they're literally suffocating," one of her followers commented.

"You do realize when you take the starfish out of the water it was suffocating right?" another said. "But good pics. Just bad for the starfish."

"Animal cruelty isn’t cute," a third said.

For the record, it's harmful to take a starfish out of the water, as it can lead to severe stress, dehydration, and potentially death.

When you pull them out of the water, they can dry out fast, especially in the heat. These little guys breathe through tiny tube feet and skin projections that soak up oxygen from the water--meaning, if they are taken out, they’re left gasping for air.

Plus, sudden temperature changes when taken out of water can shock their system.

Kayla has yet to comment on the backlash.

NFL star Travis Kelce had an on-again, off-again relationship with Kayla for five years. However, the Chiefs tight end confirmed he was single in early 2023—right before he started his whirlwind romance with pop superstar Taylor Swift.

Shortly thereafter, fans were quick to spot that the Kansas City Chiefs player unfollowed Kayla on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, right after she flirted with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts—who was teammates with Travis’s older brother, Jason Kelce.

Despite ending her relationship with Travis in 2022, Kayla and Brittany Mahomes managed to stay close friends. But now that Brittany has grown closer to his new girlfriend, Taylor Swift, Kayla seems to be distancing herself from the quarterback’s wife.

As The Blast reported last year, Kayla unfollowed Brittany on Instagram and even "un-liked" previous posts. This caught many off guard, especially since Kayla was a bridesmaid at the Mahomes' wedding in March 2022 and the two were previously inseparable.

After Travis and Taylor began dating, Kayla received backlash from Swifties on social media. She was quick to take matters into her own hands, sharing an open letter about the hate. “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,” she said in a video shared to her social media last year.

“Dear Black girl, they may call you a traitor for falling in love. You’ll hope the ones closest will protect you, but you will quickly find out that people don’t protect what they don’t value,” she added. “They’ll say you’re too much, too provocative, too boisterous, too outspoken, and in the same breath, tell you that you aren’t enough. They’ll say you deserve the backlash and embarrassment. Because of your Blackness, you should have known better.”

Kayla went on to talk about how everyone has value and how no one is alone. “You don’t have to participate in this tumultuous, often one-sided journey," she said. “My truth, trauma, and vulnerability are a relatable part of the human experience."

"I know I’m not alone and I want to make sure you know that you’re not either," she continued. "On days when I feel most inadequate, I have to remind myself that I am, have been, and will always be more than enough.”