Kayla Nicole declined to comment when asked about the engagement of her ex-boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, to pop star Taylor Swift while attending a House of Champion Fashion Week event in New York on Thursday night.
A Daily Mail reporter asked Nicole directly on the red carpet, “Do you have any comment on Travis’ engagement?” Nicole, host of the podcast “The Pre-Game,” smiled, looked away and replied, “Oh, no, no, no, but I’m really happy to be here at Champion, though! This is a dope party.” When the reporter followed by saying “a lot of males are asking if you’re single or not,” Nicole responded, “Really? Tell them yes I am, whoever is asking, absolutely!”
Nicole, who previously dated Kelce on and off from 2017 to 2022, said she is looking for a “spontaneous” family man and described qualities she values: “a very honest man,” someone “of really great character” with a “great relationship with their family” and “really good girlfriends.” Earlier this year on her podcast she said she has changed her approach to dating and does not plan to publicly date until she is certain a partner is long term, citing a desire to protect herself and her close relationships.
Kelce and Swift announced their engagement Aug. 26 with a carousel of photos taken in a garden at Kelce’s Leawood, Kansas, estate. The announcement was widely covered across media outlets and social platforms.
Nicole attended the House of Champion event organized by Sports Illustrated amid New York Fashion Week. Observers on the red carpet noted her brief, guarded answers and body language, including a smirk and an apparent effort to steer conversation toward the event.
Nicole rose to wider public attention through social media and television appearances, and she is a former cast member of the reality series Special Forces. Her public remarks on the red carpet echoed comments she has made previously about keeping romantic relationships private until she is ready to commit publicly, noting in April that public dating can invite “a world of opinion” and pressure to explain private matters.
Nikole’s red carpet exchange underscores how public interest persists around the personal lives of professional athletes and prominent entertainers. Her remark confirming single status adds a public closure to questions about her romantic availability following her split from Kelce in 2022 and his subsequent relationship and engagement with Swift in 2023 and 2025, respectively.
Representatives for Nicole and Kelce did not immediately respond to requests for comment.