Kayla Nicole used her social media page to reflect on the meaning of “joy” hours after her ex, Travis Kelce, announced his engagement to Taylor Swift.
The model and sports journalist dated the NFL tight end on and off between 2017 and 2022.
Kayla, who recently suggested that the football player had been unfaithful during their relationship, took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday (August 26) to post a video of Black-ish actress Tracee Ellis Ross’ “power reminder on experiencing joy.”
In the clip, the actress shares what she believes is the difference between joy and happiness. “I work at it. I think joy is different from happiness. I feel like happiness is something you can get at 7-Eleven, and joy is something that you earn and work for and takes practice,” Tracee begins.
Kayla Nicole shared a cryptic post hours after the news of ex Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s engagement
Image credits: iamkaylanicole
“I feel like joy has legs. I feel like joy has feet. I feel like joy has roots. I feel like joy creates space and allows room for more than just a good day,” she continued.
“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.”
Image credits: iamkaylanicole
Nicole said Tracee’s words resonated with her own journey toward a more fulfilling life. Referencing Kay Warren’s self-help book, she wrote, “Read about this concept years ago in a book called Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough.
“I aspire,” she added. “So so good.”
On the same day, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift announced they would be saying “I do” after two years of dating. “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married 🧨,” they captioned a series of photos from the garden proposal, including one of the Kansas City Chiefs player down on one knee.
Kayla and Travis dated between 2017 and 2022
Image credits: Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Image credits: taylorswift
Travis reportedly proposed about two weeks ago at his home.
The athlete publicly expressed his romantic interest in the Grammy-winning star in 2023. On his New Heights podcast, he shared that he was “a little butthurt” after trying to meet the singer backstage following one of her shows, only for her to turn down the proposal. Not long after, Taylor was spotted at one of his games.
“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings,” Travis said at the time. “So I was a little butthurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her.”
Taylor and Travis announced their engagement on Tuesday after two years of dating
Image credits: taylorswift
The couple began dating one year after Travis’s relationship with Nicole ended.
Earlier this year, Nicole, who also hosts a podcast titled The Pre-Game, admitted that she had experienced “heartbreak” after one of her relationships, reigniting speculation that the athlete had cheated on her.
Image credits: iamkaylanicole
In an April episode of her podcast, the journalist said she was raised “to believe that a man and woman, if they are in a relationship, if they are married, you are only intended to be with each other.”
Without naming any names, she continued: “Have I experienced that in dating and relationships in my life? No. When you are cheated on, the heartbreak and devastation that come with that. The insecurities that come with that. It can be overwhelming.”
The sports journalist previously suggested the NFL athlete had been unfaithful
Image credits: killatrav
Image credits: killatrav
Nicole shared that so far she hasn’t had “successful, monogamous relationships without any element of cheating.”
In 2020, after she and Travis had a brief break, the NFL star denied rumors that he had been unfaithful, calling them “fake news” and “a lie” and clarifying they had broken up for a different reason.
On her Instagram page, Kayla shared a reflection on the difference between “joy” and “happiness,” saying the former is “earned”
Image credits: offthecuff/iamkaylanicole
Nicole suggested in May that Travis’ relationship with Taylor made her “look good.”
When one of her show’s listeners called in for advice about getting over an ex whose new girl is “hot,” Nicole noted: “I think as women, something we struggle with is admitting that the new girl might be popping, might be s**t, might be really hot and there’s no problem in admitting that.”
Image credits: iamkaylanicole
The podcaster compared the situation to losing a playoff basketball game to a team that later goes on to win the championship.
“If you’re gonna lose, I want to lose to the best team now. I want you to move on and go do your big one. Make me look good. Right?”