Kayla Nicole is speaking out after fans accused her of shading ex-boyfriend Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift with her Halloween costume.
The 34-year-old sports reporter went viral after sharing an Instagram Reel on Halloween dressed as singer Toni Braxton from her 2000 music video “He Wasn’t Man Enough.” Nicole captioned the post, “She’s an icon. She’s a legend. She’s @tonibraxton circa 2000. #Halloween25.”
The video, which has been viewed more than 5.3 million times on TikTok, quickly sparked speculation that the look referenced her past relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs star, who became engaged to pop singer Swift in August, according to Sporting News.
The Braxton-inspired look, based on a song about a woman warning another about a man who “wasn’t man enough,” led some fans to believe Nicole was sending a pointed message.
“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone more obsessed with their ex,” one user commented. Another wrote, “Salty af 🤣 But makes for good content, right?”
Others praised her costume and aimed their criticism at Swift.
“Taylor Swift has been a public figure long enough to know the scale of bullying she would subject Kayla too with those Opalite lyrics. Just disgusting behavior on her part,” one person wrote.
“Her body is INSANE!!!,” a fan said.
“Kayla Nicole is exactly who she thinks she is,” another person said.
But Nicole later clarified that the look wasn’t a jab at her ex. On the Nov. 3 episode of her podcast “The Pre-Game With Kayla Nicole,” she explained that her inspiration came from a childhood memory, not Kelce or Swift.
“Her mom was playing this song, playing at the top of her lungs,” Nicole said, recalling a moment with her childhood best friend. “It was just like an ah-hah moment that, ‘Wow, white people listen to Black people music as well.’”
This is not the first time Nicole has been drawn into Swift-related speculation.
In October, after Swift released her song “Opalite,” fans suggested it referenced Nicole’s past with Kelce. Nicole responded by reposting a clip from America’s Next Top Model of winner Eva Marcille saying, “I don’t compare myself to other girls… I’m no comparison to anyone else,” according to E! News.
Nicole and Kelce dated on and off from 2017 to 2022, with several public breakups and reconciliations, according to E! News.
In a previous appearance on “Behind the Likes,” she said she’s moved on from dating professional athletes.
“I’ll never say never, but I fully, wholeheartedly believe that I am out of the athlete stage,” she said.
Despite the online drama, Nicole’s Halloween look has inspired thousands of recreations across TikTok, some of which have even caught Toni Braxton’s attention, as the singer commented on multiple fan videos of the viral dance.
This story was written with the assistance of AI.
Read the original article on cleveland.com.
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