Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's romance has been the biggest storyline of the NFL season, and it'll be the talk of Las Vegas during Super Bowl LVIII when the Kansas City Chiefs take the field against the San Francisco 49ers.
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The tight end and pop star duo first made headlines when she was spotted at Arrowhead Stadium when the Chiefs played the Chicago Bears last September. Ever since, Swift has been a mainstay in the suite alongside faces like Brittany Mahomes, Donna Kelce and more.
While the rumors had swirled previously, the two solidified the fact that they're dating. Kelce was seen driving her around Kansas City in his vintage convertible after the game, and he's gained quite the new following, as Swifties boosted his jersey sales through the roof.
For NFL fans who've followed the 34-year-old Kelce's career, none of this should come as surprise. From hosting "Saturday Night Live" to starring on his own reality dating show called "Catching Kelce," Travis has always thrived in the spotlight.
Now, let's introduce Travis's exes to the Swifties.
Kelce Dated Zuri Hall Before Swift
Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Kelce's most recent catch before Swift was Zuri Hall. Hall is an Access Hollywood correspondent and sideline reporter for NBC's "American Ninja Warrior."
It's not known how long they dated, but the only real evidence of their courtship was rare glimpses in the background of their friends' Instagram stories.
Hall was originally born in Toldeo, Ohio, and attended Ohio State, while Kelce was born an hour and a half away in Westlake, and famously attended the University of Cincinnati before heading to the NFL and becoming a two-time Super Bowl champion and eight-time Pro Bowl selection.
Kelce's Ex-Girlfriend Kayla Nicole Has Warned Swift About Him
Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)
Kelce previously dated Kayla Nicole on and off for about five years before reportedly splitting in 2022.
Nicole describes herself as an "on-camera host" and has worked for publications such as NBA, BET, Global Grind, HotNewHipHop, XONecole, All Def Digital, Ballislife.com and served as a court-side reporter for the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Sporting News. She's also reportedly worked as a productions assistant for CBS Radio in New York.
Besides interviewing rappers and artists, she's a model who has competed in beauty pageants. The sports media personality currently has more than 750,000 followers on Instagram and reportedly hails from Los Angeles. She attended Pepperdine University in Malibu, where she received a degree in broadcast journalism.
Nicole was Kelce's right-hand woman when he wasn't catching passes at Arrowhead Stadium. She attended dinners with the fam, galas with other celebs and weddings with him. After the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, she partied on one of the floats in the parade.
"Woke up next to an AFC champ this morning!!!! Few things more satisfying than watching the man you love achieve his dreams," she wrote on Instagram after the Chiefs' AFC Championship game win in January 2020. "Trav, (you're sitting next to me so don't make this weird lol) - your dedication, resilience and heart for this game is unmatched. You are truly reaping the fruit of your labor and I'm just thankful I get to witness. I dream bigger because of you baby. One step closer!"
Rumors surfaced that they broke up because Kelce was cheap, but both of them shot down that notion in separate interviews.
"You've got to be crazy if you think I'd never helped or gave her a couple dollars to grab some food or she gave me some money ... We were in a relationship for five years," the Chiefs star told The Pivot Podcast. "A hundred dollars here and hundred dollars there wasn't even thought about, which is ridiculous."
He also added that "she had a very financially stable life and what she was doing in her career."
Since the breakup, Nicole has talked about how therapy has helped her. She's also shut off her direct messaging on Instagram because of all the toxic comments she's gotten.
Kelce Found Maya Benberry Through His Dating Show
Way before dating Nicole and Hall, Kelce starred on his very own dating show called "Catching Kelce." The Bachelor-style show, which is basically a way to speed-run amassing ex-girlfriends, ran on E! from January-April 2016 and included a cast of female contestants that oddly included former NFL player Mark Schlereth's daughter.
The woman who "caught Kelce" on the show was Maya Benberry. The Paducah, Ky., native didn't win money or a prize on the reality show, but she did win a relationship with an NFL player and the fame that came with starring on the reality TV show.
"I did win. We wrapped up filming the finale April 8, and we've had to keep things a secret since," she told Kentucky.com. "Now we just date in real life. To me and him, it feels like a fresh start."
Things didn't last long between the two of them, however. By January 2017, she confirmed that they had split up.
Kelce Has Been Accused of Cheating Multiple Times
Photo by Karl Walter/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images
With news of Kelce dating Swift, Benberry had a warning for the "Bad Blood" singer. She told the DailyMail that Kelce is "just using" Swift.
"Taylor [Swift] seems like such a fun girl with a beautiful spirit, so I wish her the best of luck, but I wouldn't be a girls' girl if I didn't advise her to be smart!" Benberry said. "I'm sure by now she has mastered the ability to see who is there for her — and who is just using her."
"Only time will tell, but like the saying always goes: Once a cheater, always a cheater," Benberry added.
Of course, Benberry has previously fired similar shots toward Kelce. In May 2017, she accused Kelce of some pretty shady stuff regarding his quick turnaround to dating Kayla Nicole.
"When you and your ex broke up 5 months ago but you find out via social media that he's supposedly been in another relationship for 6..." Benberry wrote in a tweet.
And that isn't the only time someone has accused Kelce of cheating.
In early August 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, the NFL star confirmed that he and Kayla had broken up. According to TMZ, he responded to a tweet accusing him of cheating on Nicole with a "Becky" AKA a white woman.
"This is fake news ... a lie ... and not why Kayla and I broke up," Kelce wrote about cheating rumors in the since-deleted tweet. "Take all your hatred somewhere else please."
The tweet he was replying to read, "Girlfriend of NFL player Travis Kelce LEAVES Him After He Got Caught W/ Becky."
It was pretty clear things weren't right between them judging from her Instagram account. She deleted all pictures and videos with him, signaling they called it quits. As for the reason they broke up, you can decide for yourself what to believe.
In late November 2020, though, the two made up and got back together. The Chiefs tight end confirmed that in a live video Q&A with WNBA player Chiney Ogwumike.
"She's the best," Kelce said, per TMZ.com. "She's the absolute best."
While it ultimately didn't work out with Kayla, Maya or Zuri, it appears Kelce is happy to be dating the biggest pop star in the world right now. Let's hope the couple never goes out of style and keeps writing their love story together.
