Kayla Nicole Breaks Silence on Why She Unfollowed Mahomes Family Amid Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Romance

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Travis Kelce’s ex Kayla Nicole explained why she cut social media ties with several Mahomes family members as Taylor Swift’s romance with the NFL star heats up.

Almost three weeks after unfollowing former BFF Brittany Mahomes, her husband Patrick Mahomes, and Patrick’s brother Jackson Mahomes, Travis Kelce’s ex Kayla Nicole is speaking out. “I do think it’s important to publicly address this because I did publicly unfollow people,” the sports reporter, 31, told PEOPLE for an interview published on October 25.

“The reality is I know these people in real life,” she continued. “And so, in real life, I’ve communicated to these people why I’ve had to publicly make the decisions that I made.” Kayla and Travis dated on and off for 5 years — Travis’ new relationship with Taylor Swift seemingly prompted the decision, after Brittany was seen hanging out with the popstar at recent Kansas City Chiefs games. Patrick and Travis are teammates and pals, as well.

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Nicole and Brittany had become close friends in the five years during which the journalist dated Travis. The former couple ultimately parted ways for good in May of 2022, but not before Kayla was closely involved in Brittany and Patrick’s high-profile wedding in February of that year.

But when reports emerged that Brittany and the “Midnights” megastar were forming a fast friendship amid the escalating romance, Kayla pulled the social media plug. “To everyone it’s like, ‘Oh, you broke up a year ago,’ and that meant it’s like a light switch, you turn it on and off and everything goes dead and black and you don’t ever speak to anyone ever again,” she explained to the outlet. “That’s not reality. I have ongoing relationships with all parties involved.”

Still, she said, she “loves” the mom of two. Furthermore, she claims she and Brittany have “had our conversations” about it. “She knows that I love her,” she said. “That’s a lot of history and friendship there, that doesn’t change overnight. But publicly, because things are happening so quickly and so publicly, I have to protect myself. That’s really all that is. The love is still there.”