Originally appeared on E! Online
Kayla Nicole has a joyful view of the future.
Hours after her ex Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift announced their engagement, the on-air host reposted a telling clip in which Tracee Ellis Ross talks about her “experiencing joy.”
“Read about this very concept years ago in a book called Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough,” Kayla—who dated the Kansas City Chiefs tight end for five years before their 2022 breakup—wrote over the clip on her Instagram Stories Aug. 26. “I aspire! So so good.”
In the video shared by the account @offthecuff, the Black-ish actress explains why she finds the concept of joy to be so integral to her life.
“I work at it,” Tracee starts. “I think joy is different from happiness. I feel like happiness is something you can get at 7/11, and joy is something you earn and work for and takes practice.”
“I feel lie joy has legs,” she continues. “I feel like joy has feet, I feel like joy has roots, I feel like creates space and allows for room for more than just a good day. 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.”
Kayla had previously revealed how splitting from Travis publicly ahead of his relationship with Taylor has impacted her on a personal level.
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“I feel lie joy has legs,” she continues. “I feel like joy has feet, I feel like joy has roots, I feel like creates space and allows for room for more than just a good day. 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.”
Kayla had previously revealed how splitting from Travis publicly ahead of his relationship with Taylor has impacted her on a personal level.
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“Going through a public breakup, just to be frank, it’s been overwhelming,” she shared on Special Forces: The World’s Toughest Test back in January. “I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
“It’s pretty constant and exhausting,” the 33-year-old said of the “social media battlefield” she’s had to navigate as a result of her former relationship. “It doesn’t matter, I could post about the sky being blue and people will have a response about an ex and their new situation. It’s inadvertently affected me to the point where it makes me question my overall value as a person.”
Kayla went on to note that the constant comparison to Taylor in the media and among her fans isn’t easy.
“I think there’s just the comparison and it’s just like on loop,” the Pre-Game host explained on the show through tears. “I think I’m still trying to figure out how to deal with it.”
Though it’s proven to be a difficult time for her, the sports reporter made sure to note that she has no bad blood with Taylor.
“I really like, like, her,” Kayla said of the “Blank Space” singer. “I think she’s very talented.”
Keep reading for more on Travis and Taylor’s relationship…
July 2023: So, Make the Friendship Bracelets
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s love story began in July 2023, when the singer’s Eras Tour made a stop at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
As a huge Swiftie, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end caught the show with hopes of giving Taylor a friendship bracelet with his number on it. However, he failed to complete the pass due to her pre-show rituals.
“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 shared on the July 26 episode of his New Heights podcast. “So, I was a little butt-hurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her.”
Summer 2023: This Is Him Trying
After publicly recounting his fumble—a move Taylor would later describe as “metal as hell”—Travis decided to shoot his shot and invite the Grammy winner to watch the Chiefs play at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I threw it out there, I threw the ball in her court,” he shared on The Pat McAfee Show. “I told her, you know, ‘I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead and see which one’s a little more lit.’ So, we’ll see what happens in the near future.”
August 2023: Enchanted to Meet You
Travis was rocking a mustache—which he debuted in August during training camp—when he was first introduced to Taylor.
As he later noted of the era, “That ‘stache and the 87 jersey was pretty iconic there for a little bit, and I had it when I met Taylor for the first time.”
September 2023: Sparks Fly
By early September, a source close to the situation told E! News that Travis and Taylor were “texting and talking here and there.”
“It’s been very low-key,” the insider explained, “as he’s been in season.”
September 2023: Cheer Captain
October 2023: Team Up
October 2023: It’s Nice to Have a Friend
October 2023: Welcome to New York
November 2023: Karma Is Her Boyfriend
December 2023: Speak Now
Taylor addressed the lavender craze surrounding her appearances at Travis’ games.
“I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care,” she told Time. “The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone.”
December 2023: You, Who Charmed Her Dad
January 2024: All the Midnights
Taylor and Travis spent their first New Year’s Eve together, sharing a romantic kiss when the clock struck midnight on Jan. 1.
January 2024: Chosen Family
January 2024: Saved by the Perfect Kiss
February 2024: Super Bowl Champs
The pair locked lips on the field after Travis led the Kansas City Chiefs to victory on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas.
February 2024: TikTok Official
Taylor posted footage of Travis on social media for the first time Feb. 12, poking fun at how she took her parents clubbing with the athlete after the Super Bowl.
June 2024: Instagram Official
Taylor’s first Instagram pic featuring Travis was a selfie of the two with Prince William and his and wife Kate Middleton’s eldest kids Prince George and Princess Charlotte backstage at the singer’s Eras tour show at Wembley Stadium in London.
June 2024: Travis’ Eras Tour Stage Debut
While attending his seventh Eras tour concert, and second show at London’s Wembley Stadium, the NFL star joined his girlfriend onstage as a backup performer during her performance of “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”
September 2024: Back in the Game
Taylor joined Travis for the Chief’s first game of the regular 2024-25 season and appeared to re-enact a PDA moment from October 2023 in this photo shared by Chariah Gordon, who is pictured with her boyfriend, Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman.
September 2024: Wedding Date
September 2024: U.S. Open Date
October 2024: Double Date
December 2024: Empire State of Mind
The pair stepped out for two back-to-back dates in New York City over the last weekend of 2024, matching outfits both times.
March 2025: Off-Season Adventures
The pair spent the NFL off-season together, enjoying a snowy vacation to Montana with sportscaster Erin Andrews.