Let’s be real. Before Travis Kelce was the guy holding a $1 million engagement ring for Taylor Swift or the dude starring in every second commercial on your TV, he was just a talented, slightly chaotic tight end with a very public dating life. People act like his romantic history is this massive, endless scroll. Honestly? It isn't. But the few relationships he did have were loud. Very loud.
Most fans only know the "Taylor era," which basically rebooted his public image. But if you look back at the Travis Kelce ex girlfriend list, you see a guy who tried everything from reality TV gimmicks to high-profile influencer drama. It’s a mix of messy breakups, "cheap" allegations that he had to publicly debunk, and one very awkward E! Network show that he now calls "extremely uncomfortable."
The Reality TV Experiment: Maya Benberry (2016)
Before the Super Bowl rings and the "New Heights" podcast fame, Travis took a weird detour into reality TV. The show was called Catching Kelce. Think The Bachelor, but with 50 women—one from every state—competing for a Kansas City tight end who, at the time, wasn't exactly a household name.
Maya Benberry, a stylist and life coach from Kentucky, ended up winning his heart. Or at least, she won the finale. They dated for about as long as a standard NFL offseason. By early 2017, they were done.
The breakup wasn't exactly what you’d call "amicable." Maya has been pretty vocal over the years, even resurfacing in 2023 to warn Taylor Swift about Travis’s character. She claimed he was unfaithful, a narrative Travis has consistently denied. On The Pivot Podcast, he later admitted the show was a learning experience but mostly just awkward because he felt he didn't have much control over the process.
The Five-Year Rollercoaster: Kayla Nicole (2017–2022)
If there is one name that defines the Travis Kelce ex girlfriend list more than any other, it’s Kayla Nicole. This wasn't a "fling." They were a staple of the Kansas City social scene for nearly five years.
They met the way most modern couples do: he "insta-flirted" by liking her photos for months until she finally slid into his DMs. They went public at teammate Jeremy Maclin’s wedding in 2017, and for a long time, it looked like she was the one.
What went wrong?
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- The "50/50" Rumors: This is the weirdest part of the saga. A rumor caught fire that Travis made Kayla pay for half of everything—dinners, trips, you name it—just to prove she wasn't with him for the money. Travis went on a literal press tour to kill this rumor, saying, "You've got to be crazy if you'd think I would never help or give her a couple thousand to grab some food."
- On-and-Off Dynamics: They broke up in 2020 amid cheating rumors (which he called "fake news"), got back together a few months later, and then finally called it quits for good in May 2022.
- The Post-Breakup Shade: Since Travis started dating Taylor Swift, the internet has been... intense. Kayla eventually unfollowed Patrick and Brittany Mahomes, explaining that she had to protect her peace. Honestly, you can't blame her. Watching your ex of five years become the most famous boyfriend on the planet in a matter of weeks is a lot for anyone.
The "Maybe" Files: Zuri Hall and Others
After the final split with Kayla in 2022 and before the "friendship bracelet" incident of 2023, the rumor mill was working overtime.
The most persistent name was Zuri Hall. She’s an entertainment reporter for Access Hollywood, and fans caught her hanging out in Kelce’s suite at a Chiefs game in late 2022. There were videos of them in the same vicinity, and side-eye-worthy Instagram unfollows happened between Zuri and Kayla Nicole. But did they actually date? Travis never confirmed it. In his "single era" of early 2023, he mostly joked about how hard it was to find someone who could handle the schedule.
Why the History Matters in 2026
It’s easy to look at the Travis Kelce ex girlfriend list and see just a few names, but it explains a lot about his current relationship. Travis spent years in "on-again, off-again" cycles and high-drama splits.
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When Taylor Swift entered the picture, it was a complete shift in how he handled the spotlight. He went from a guy who was defensive about his "cheapness" or his reality TV past to a guy who is comfortable being the "supportive boyfriend" on a global stage.
Facts to Remember:
- Maya Benberry was the winner of his 2016 dating show.
- Kayla Nicole was his longest relationship (5 years).
- The engagement to Taylor Swift in August 2025 officially ended his "bachelor" narrative.
- Most "rumored" flings (like Megan Thee Stallion) were never proven and likely just social media noise.
If you’re trying to keep up with the drama, the best move is to look at the sources. Most of the "tea" from 2025 and early 2026 comes from TikTok sleuths who over-analyze every Instagram like. While the past is definitely colorful, the current chapter seems much more settled.
To dive deeper into how his public image shifted during these years, you can check out the archives of the New Heights podcast or look into his 2023 Saturday Night Live monologue where he poked fun at his own romantic failures. Seeing the evolution from a reality TV contestant to a Super Bowl champion in a stable relationship is actually a pretty wild arc.