Travis Kelce's Ex Kayla Nicole Reminds Herself To 'Aspire' To 'Joy' Amid Taylor Swift Engagement

Kayla Nicole is choosing to move forward in happiness following the news of her ex-boyfriend, Travis Kelce’s, engagement to Taylor Swift. 

Kelce proposed to Swift in a dazzling garden-themed setting that broke the internet. 

The media influencer and the NFL star were in a highly publicized romantic relationship for five years before parting ways in 2022, after which Swift came on the scene.

A few hours after her ex-boyfriend, Kelce, asked Swift to marry him after two years of dating, Nicole shared a video of Tracee Ellis Ross on her Instagram Stories.

In the clip, the actress spoke about the power of experiencing joy.  Ross reflected on how much she works at being a joyful person, saying that joy is different from happiness. She noted that while happiness feels like something you can “get at 7-Eleven”, happiness, on the other hand, is something that you “earn and work for” because it takes practice. 

“I think joy is an attitude. I think joy is a perspective and I think joy is a lens through which I live and look at my life,” the "Black-ish" actress said in the video.

As reported by Page Six, Nicole wrote in the caption of her upload that she agrees with Ross’s views on joy and is familiar with the concept. 

“Read about this very concept years ago in a book called ‘Choose Joy’: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough.’ I aspire! So so good,” the 33-year-old wrote.

Kelce and Swift broke the internet with an engagement announcement post, captioned, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.” 

The duo posted a joint Instagram post showing a picture carousel of their fairytale engagement. In the first slide, Kelce could be seen kneeling in front of his now-fiancée while she held onto his face lovingly. They were surrounded by stunning floral arrangements in a picturesque, fairytale-like garden. 

In subsequent slides, they were captured in intimate moments as they hugged each other. Swift also showed off the large diamond engagement ring on her finger in one of the pictures. 

The NFL star and Grammy Award winner began dating in 2023, a year after the former parted ways with Nicole. 

Following Nicole and Kelce’s breakup, the social media influencer has made it clear that she would like to move from the shadow of being the NFL star’s ex-girlfriend. 

She recently appeared on "Second Wind Podcast" with Marion Jones, where she revealed her dislike for how much the media focuses on her past relationship.  “One day, they're going to have to stop calling me someone's ex,” she said. 

Nicole revealed that she was speaking up with the hope of inspiring others who felt overlooked in one way or the other. She then expressed her commitment to remaining as authentic as possible while supporting anyone who resonates with her story. 

Nicole and Kelce’s love story began in 2017 after the football pro ended things with Maya Benberry. They made their first public appearance as a romantic item at Jeremy Maclin's wedding, and after that, things took off between them. 

The couple was often seen attending numerous events together, including the ESPY Awards and the Kids' Choice Sports Awards.

The Blast reported that, despite their love, they had their own share of ups and downs. In 2020, they two briefly parted ways amid rumors of infidelity on Kelce’s end.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end debunked the rumors and the two reconciled, only to finally part ways again in May 2022. 

Nicole once opened up about her experience dating a high-profile personality such as Kelce.

“You don’t see me. You don’t see me with a man, and you will never see me with a man until I’m married with kids. Scout’s honor,” she said, as reported by The Blast.

The influencer revealed that her breakup from Kelce was “overwhelming,” and she received a lot of hate online when his relationship with Swift went public.

She then added that she would not be interested in dating anyone publicly again until she was “absolutely sure” that they were her “long-term person.”