Travis Kelce’s ex Kayla Nicole has Taylor Swift fans in a tailspin after possibly shading the pop singer with her Halloween costume.
The model and sports presenter, who dated the NFL star from 2017 to 2022, showed up to Halloween weekend dressed as Toni Braxton circa 2000.
Sporting Braxton’s iconic micro-fringe dress, slick hair, and confident strut, Kayla channelled the music video for the hit song He Wasn’t Man Enough.
She captioned the post, ‘She’s an icon. She’s a legend. She’s @tonibraxton circa 2000. #Halloween25.’
On its own, it’s a flawless costume choice in an era of 2000s pop revivalism.
But then she posted a clip dancing along to the section of the song that features lyrics like: ‘What are you thinking? / Did you know about us back then? / Do you know I dumped your husband, girlfriend? / I’m not thinking ’bout him / But you married him / Do you know I made him leave? / Do you know he begged to stay with me? / He wasn’t man enough for me.’
For context: after Kayla and Travis split in 2022, the Kansas City Chiefs player began dating Taylor Swift a year later — a relationship that has since produced a thousand memes, multiple NFL cutaway shots, and one engagement ring.
Kayla, meanwhile, has faced an onslaught of online trolling – much of it, she says, from ‘miserable’ Swifties.
Her only apparent crime? Celebrating the Philadelphia Eagles’ victory at the 2025 Super Bowl, which happened to come at the expense of her ex’s team.
Then came Taylor’s October album The Life of the Showgirl, where fans clocked a lyric in Opalite that appeared to reference Kayla: ‘You were in it for real, she was in her phone.’
Cue resurfaced clips of Travis once asking Kayla to ‘get off’ her phone. Cue more online drama.
So, if you’ve been following the ongoing (and occasionally exhausting) Taylor Swift–Travis Kelce–Kayla Nicole discourse, this Halloween moment is explosive, and fans were quick to weigh in.
X user @deadraaaaa_ wrote: ‘Kayla Nicole won Halloween this year and idc what anyone says.’
@CivilChar agreed, writing: ‘Taylor Swift wrote a song about Kayla Nicole on her new album dragging her in something she didn’t ask for. Saying that Kayla wasn’t all that, Kayla clapped back with this!!’
Instagram user tatianaelizabethh referenced Taylor’s new album The Life of the Showgirl in the comments of Kayla’s video, writing: ‘Will the real showgirl step to the front!!!!’
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But some were less than impressed, with X user @thickolekidman posting:
‘Taylor Swift dedicated one verse as a song to her muse’s struggles in a past relationship, and Kayla Nicole has dedicated her entire life to being Travis Kelce’s ex-girlfriend and obsessing over his fiancée. so now what. y’all always wanna talk big but one line got y’all crying.’
To be fair, maybe it’s all a coincidence. Maybe Kayla’s just a Toni Braxton fan. Maybe the lyrics were just… lyrics.
Or maybe Kayla just landed the heaviest blow yet in an ongoing pop culture feud.
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