Before the friendship bracelets, the record-breaking Eras Tour appearances, and that massive million-dollar engagement ring in August 2025, Travis Kelce was just a guy trying to figure out his love life like everyone else. Well, okay—maybe not exactly like everyone else. Most of us don't have our dating mishaps broadcast on E! Network or dissected by millions of Swifties on TikTok.
Honestly, the narrative around travis kelce past girlfriends has become so warped by the "Taylor effect" that it's hard to remember what actually happened. People love a good villain arc. They want to believe he was some serial heartbreaker or a "cheapskate" before the "Music Industry" herself walked into Arrowhead Stadium.
But if you look at the actual timeline, the reality is way more nuanced. It’s a mix of a cringe-worthy reality show, a five-year rollercoaster with a sports reporter, and a whole lot of internet rumors that just won't die.
The Reality TV Experiment: Maya Benberry
Let's go back to 2016. Travis wasn't the household name he is now. He was a rising star on the field, sure, but his off-field brand was still in its "experimental" phase. That experiment was Catching Kelce.
Imagine a show where 50 women—one from every state—compete for the heart of a tight end. It was basically The Bachelor on steroids and sports Gatorade. Travis has since admitted on his New Heights podcast that the whole thing was "extremely awkward." He basically did it for the paycheck and the exposure, which, let's be real, is why anyone does reality TV.
He ended up picking Maya Benberry, a life coach from Kentucky.
They dated for about three months. Maybe four. It wasn't exactly a match made in heaven. By early 2017, they were done. Maya hasn't exactly been quiet about the split either. In fact, when the Taylor Swift news first broke in 2023, Maya was right there in the Daily Mail and Inside Edition warning Taylor to "proceed with caution." She’s called him a narcissist and hinted at infidelity, though Travis’s camp has always brushed those claims off as clout-chasing.
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The Long Haul: Kayla Nicole
If Maya was a summer fling fueled by TV contracts, Kayla Nicole was the real deal. This is the relationship that defined Travis's late 20s.
They started dating in 2017. How? In the most millennial way possible: Instagram. Travis spent months "insta-flirting"—basically double-tapping every photo she posted but never actually sending a DM. Eventually, Kayla got some "liquid courage" on New Year’s Eve and messaged him first.
They were together, on and off, for five years.
Why did they keep breaking up?
This is where the internet gets messy. There was a viral rumor that Travis was "cheap" and made Kayla pay for half of everything to "prove" she wasn't with him for the money.
Travis actually addressed this head-on during an interview on The Pivot podcast. He called the rumors "ridiculous" and pointed out that Kayla was a successful sports journalist and influencer in her own right. She had her own money. According to him, they just shared a life.
"We were in a relationship for five years. A hundred dollars here, a hundred dollars there wasn't even thought about."
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They finally called it quits for good in May 2022. It wasn't a clean break. Breaking up after five years is heavy. Kayla has been incredibly vulnerable about the aftermath, mentioning on the Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test show in early 2025 that the "public breakup" was overwhelming. She even admitted to losing weight and struggling with her mental health because of the constant comparisons to Taylor Swift.
The Rumor Mill: Zuri Hall
After Kayla and before Taylor, there was a brief window where the internet tried to link Travis to Zuri Hall, an Access Hollywood correspondent.
She was spotted at a few Chiefs games. Some "insider" told a tabloid they were "getting to know each other." But honestly? It never seemed to go anywhere. Neither of them ever confirmed it. It was likely just two famous, attractive people being in the same VIP section at the same time.
The Taylor Swift Era and the "Opalite" Drama
Then came July 2023. The friendship bracelet. The failed attempt to give Taylor his number. We all know how that ended—with a 2025 engagement and Travis designing a custom "Old Mine" cut diamond ring.
But even in this "fairytale," the ghosts of travis kelce past girlfriends still haunt the lyrics. When Taylor dropped her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, in August 2025, fans immediately zeroed in on the track "Opalite."
The lyrics are... pointed.
"You were in it for real, she was in her phone / And you were just a pose."
Swifties immediately assumed this was a dig at Kayla Nicole, suggesting she treated Travis more like a social media accessory than a partner. Is it true? Who knows. But it shows how these past relationships continue to be part of the conversation, even as Travis prepares to walk down the aisle.
What This Tells Us About Travis
Looking at Travis’s history, there’s a clear pattern of growth. He went from the "just let it roll" guy on a dating show to someone who stayed in a committed, long-term partnership for half a decade.
He clearly values women who are ambitious and have their own careers—Maya is a life coach, Kayla is a journalist, and Taylor is, well, Taylor.
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If you're looking for the "actionable" takeaway here, it's that public perception is rarely the full story. If you're navigating your own dating life or looking back at your "exes" list, remember:
- Reality TV isn't reality. Don't judge a person's character by a produced show from a decade ago.
- Financial compatibility matters. The "pay half" rumors might have been fake, but they sparked a real conversation about how high-earning couples manage their bills.
- Public breakups require boundaries. Kayla Nicole eventually had to unfollow the Mahomes family and step away from the NFL circle to protect her peace. Sometimes, you have to "protect your heart" even if the love is still there.
Travis seems to have finally found his "end game," but he wouldn't be the person he is today without the lessons learned from the women who came before.
Check out the latest episodes of the New Heights podcast to hear Travis and Jason talk more about their personal lives, or keep an eye on Taylor's tour schedule for more "Opalite" clues.