The Untold Stories: 5 Women Travis Kelce Dated Before Taylor Swift And Their Shocking 2025 Updates
The global spotlight on Travis Kelce's relationship with Taylor Swift has put every detail of the Kansas City Chiefs star's life under a microscope, especially his dating history. Before the whirlwind romance with the pop icon, Kelce's love life included a five-year on-again, off-again relationship with a prominent sports journalist and a short-lived romance with the winner of his own reality dating show.
As of late December 2025, the women who came before Taylor Swift are forging their own paths—launching new businesses, hosting podcasts, and occasionally offering candid, sometimes controversial, perspectives on their famous ex. The narrative of Kelce's "long list of ex-lovers" is more complex than simple tabloid fodder, revealing accomplished women who are now defining their own success.
The Complete Biographical Profile: Kelce's Ex-Girlfriends
Before the "Traylor" phenomenon, Travis Kelce had two major public relationships and one short-term rumored romance that captured media attention. Here is a detailed look at the women who were a significant part of the NFL tight end's life.
Kayla Nicole
- Full Name: Kayla Nicole Brown
- Born: November 2, 1991 (34 years old in 2025)
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
- Career Highlights: Sports Journalist, On-Air Personality, Model, Fitness Influencer. She has hosted interviews for major outlets including ESPN and Barstool Sports.
- Relationship with Kelce: On-again, off-again from 2017 to May 2022, making it his longest and most serious public relationship before Taylor Swift.
Maya Benberry
- Full Name: Maya Benberry
- Born: 1992 (33 years old in 2025)
- Birthplace: Paducah, Kentucky
- Career Highlights: Reality TV Personality, Marketing Specialist, Social Media Influencer. She is best known as the winner of the E! reality dating competition show, Catching Kelce.
- Relationship with Kelce: Dated briefly in late 2016/early 2017 after she won the reality series.
Zuri Hall
- Full Name: Zuri Hall
- Born: June 2, 1988 (37 years old in 2025)
- Birthplace: Toledo, Ohio
- Career Highlights: Emmy Award-winning Entertainment News Host and Correspondent. She is a prominent anchor for E! News and a correspondent for Access Hollywood.
- Relationship with Kelce: Rumored to have dated in a brief period between Kelce's split with Kayla Nicole and his romance with Taylor Swift, primarily in 2022 and 2023.
The Reality TV Romance That Started It All: Maya Benberry and 'Catching Kelce'
The first high-profile relationship in Travis Kelce’s dating history was born out of a scripted reality show. In 2016, Kelce starred in the E! dating competition series, Catching Kelce, which saw 50 women—one from each state—compete for his affection.
The show's premise was simple: a reverse-Bachelor format where the NFL star would narrow down the field of contestants. The winner was Maya Benberry, a marketing specialist representing Kentucky.
Their victory was short-lived. Despite Benberry expressing that she felt like "the luckiest girl in the world" after the finale, the couple split just a few months later in early 2017. Kelce later admitted that the reality series, which was filmed after his rookie season, did not set him up for a successful relationship.
The 2024/2025 Fallout: Warnings and Death Threats
Benberry re-emerged in the public eye in late 2023 and 2024 following the Kelce-Swift romance. She publicly issued a stark warning to Taylor Swift, advising the singer "to be smart" and alleging that Kelce had cheated on her during their brief relationship.
This public commentary led to a severe backlash. Benberry reported in 2024 that she had been receiving aggressive death threats from members of the "Swiftie" fanbase, highlighting the intense scrutiny and toxicity that can accompany a relationship with a global superstar.
The Longest Chapter: Kayla Nicole's Post-Kelce Era and 2025 Career Boom
Kayla Nicole’s relationship with Travis Kelce was his most enduring and public before his current partner. Spanning five years from 2017 to 2022, the on-again, off-again romance saw Nicole frequently cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium and attending major NFL events, including the Super Bowl.
Their final split in 2022 was surrounded by rumors, including speculation about Kelce's alleged infidelity and disputes over finances, both of which the football star publicly denied.
The 2025 Pivot: Podcasting, Wellness, and Candid Reflections
In 2024 and 2025, Kayla Nicole has successfully pivoted away from being known primarily as a WAG (Wives and Girlfriends of Sportsmen) to building her own robust media and wellness empire.
Her focus is now on her multi-faceted career as a media personality, wellness entrepreneur, and fashion innovator.
Key to her 2025 strategy is her health and wellness brand, Tribe Therepē, which she founded to blend physical movement and fitness with mental health advocacy.
In a major career update, Nicole launched her own podcast, "The Pre-Game With Kayla Nicole," in April 2025, where she promises to tell her story on her own terms and discuss the "disheartening" headlines that followed her breakup.
The Subtle Shade and Public Reaction
The intensity of the Kelce-Swift relationship has clearly impacted Nicole, who has offered some of the most candid public reflections. She has openly stated that the attention on her ex's new romance made her question her "overall value as a person."
Furthermore, in 2024, she seemingly threw subtle shade at the new couple with a Halloween costume and other social media posts. The headlines intensified when she posted a cryptic message following the announcement of Kelce and Swift's engagement in late 2024, suggesting she was ready to move past the constant public comparisons.
The Brief Interlude: Zuri Hall’s Quiet Romance
Between the end of the long-term relationship with Kayla Nicole and the start of the high-profile romance with Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce was briefly linked to Emmy Award-winning entertainment journalist Zuri Hall.
Hall, a respected face on E! News and Access Hollywood, reportedly dated the Chiefs tight end sometime between 2022 and 2023.
Unlike the other relationships, Hall’s was kept relatively private. She is a powerhouse in the entertainment news world, known for her charismatic on-screen presence and her work covering major Hollywood events.
While her relationship with Kelce was a short interlude, Hall’s own career success stands on its own. She is an established figure in broadcasting, having previously dated other athletes, including NFL player Sean Culkin.
The women who shared a part of Travis Kelce's life before his global fame are not defined by their past relationship. From the reality TV winner facing fan backlash to the entrepreneur building a wellness brand and the Emmy-winning journalist, each ex-girlfriend is carving out a successful, independent path in 2025.
Detail Author:
- Name : Ms. Trycia Goldner
- Username : keira.bradtke
- Email : pkoepp@hickle.com
- Birthdate : 1974-11-05
- Address : 37167 Swaniawski Locks North Noreneberg, MS 76074
- Phone : +1 (843) 412-1408
- Company : Runolfsdottir-Wehner
- Job : Trainer
- Bio : Minus quas dolores et. Magnam est facilis ea repudiandae aut. Ea eaque doloribus qui molestias. Id placeat sed ad officia.
Socials
facebook:
- url : https://facebook.com/llewellyn3419
- username : llewellyn3419
- bio : Rem aut rerum dignissimos asperiores.
- followers : 6634
- following : 2310
instagram:
- url : https://instagram.com/lcrona
- username : lcrona
- bio : Et et qui ut. Maiores dolorem maxime dolorum in vero velit. Et ut sunt quam quas nihil ad.
- followers : 5222
- following : 1195
