Kayla Nicole declined to comment on the engagement of her former partner Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift while attending the invite-only House of Champion event during New York Fashion Week.
Asked about the announcement on the red carpet, Nicole, 33, told the Daily Mail, "Oh, no, no, no," before adding, "But I'm really happy to be here at Champion, though! This is a dope party." She said she was focused on living her life rather than looking back at the past and declined to expand on the matter.
Nicole, a sports reporter who has worked around professional athletes, said she has no current "celebrity crushes" and that meeting so many sports figures in person has made them feel like "regular" people rather than distant celebrities. When asked whether other men at the event had been asking if she was single, she responded enthusiastically, "Really?! Tell them, 'Yes, I am!'" She described herself as in a "little single season," saying she prefers friends to set her up rather than using dating apps, and quipped that "Hot Girl Summer" would become "Hot Girl Fall" and "Hot Girl Winter."
Nicole also addressed recent social media activity that some fans read as a response to Kelce and Swift's announcement. Shortly after the engagement was revealed late last month, she reposted a clip of Tracee Ellis Ross about finding joy and wrote, "Read about this very concept years ago in a book called Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn't Enough. I aspire! So so good." Nicole urged followers not to overinterpret her posts and said bluntly of online speculation, "You know, the IQ of many people today is very low. I don't take it personal anymore."
The House of Champion event, co-hosted by Sports Illustrated as part of New York Fashion Week, celebrated the brand's centennial and was limited to about 300 guests. Nicole praised Champion's vintage, sporty aesthetic and said she felt "cool" wearing the label.
Nicole and Kelce were first linked in 2017. Their relationship went through a break in 2020, a reconciliation, and a final split in May 2022. Nicole has previously said the pair met after Kelce messaged her on social media and she later messaged him back on New Year's Eve. Media reports at the time suggested the breakup involved disputes over money; both Nicole and Kelce denied that finances were the reason for the split. Kelce told the Pivot podcast that he would not characterize the split in that way and said he and Nicole had supported one another during their five-year relationship.
Kelce, 35, and Swift, 35, were first publicly linked in October 2023. They announced their engagement late last month with photographs from an engagement shoot, attracting widespread media and public attention.
At the Champion event, Nicole outlined characteristics she would look for in a future partner, saying she values honesty, strong character, spontaneity, a good relationship with family, and supportive female friends. She also said she was surprised to learn male attendees had been asking if she was single and encouraged them to ask her out.
Nicole's comments come as public attention on Kelce's personal life has intensified following his high-profile relationship with Swift, but she kept her focus on fashion week festivities and her own personal trajectory during the interview.