Kayla Nicole is opening up about how online criticism has taken a toll on her, just days after Taylor Swift released a song that many fans believe takes a jab at her.
On the latest episode of her podcast "The Pre-Game With Kayla Nicole," the 33-year-old model and former girlfriend of NFL star Travis Kelce confessed that the pressure and hate she receives online are affecting her daily life.
"As someone who obsesses over the fact that I, on a daily basis, am terrified of my comments, terrified of my DMs — I don't want to be triggered," Nicole told her listeners.
The comments came shortly after Swift released her new album The Life of a Showgirl, which includes the song "Opalite."
According to PageSix, in the second verse, Swift appears to reference one of Kelce's past relationships, singing, "You couldn't understand it, why you felt alone / You were in it for real, she was in her phone / And you were just a pose."
After the track dropped, fans dug up an old video of Kelce asking Nicole to "get off your phone" during a dinner date, fueling speculation that Swift's lyrics were aimed at her.
Travis Kelce's Ex Kayla Nicole Admits She's 'Terrified' of Critical Comments Shortly After Taylor Swift's 'Opalite' Song Releases https://t.co/Oc8TwMWIMg
— People (@people) October 6, 2025
Kayla Nicole Responds to Taylor Swift Lyric Buzz
Though Nicole didn't directly mention Swift, she did seem to respond. In an October 3 Instagram Story, she shared a clip from "America's Next Top Model" where contestant Eva Marcille says, "I don't compare myself to other girls... I'm no comparison to anyone else."
Nicole also used humor to deal with the hate, joking on her podcast, "If you're going to talk sh— and run your mouth, please do it [on my posts] so I can pay a bill around here."
Despite the jokes, she admitted the year hasn't been easy. "I can relate [to] ... experiencing adversity, great change in your life, maybe misconceptions of people in public in general," she said.
Nicole and Kelce dated on and off for five years before ending their relationship in 2022. Kelce later began dating Swift in 2023, and the couple got engaged this past summer.
Still, Nicole is trying to keep perspective. "The opinions of others are only as big as you make them," she recently told People. "Sometimes on social media, we think that it's the whole world, and it's really not."
Originally published on Enstarz
