Kayla Nicole‘s not afraid to call the shots. This woman’s got her own playbook, firing off a tweet—you know, the kind of tweet that makes you do a double take, sip your coffee, and think, ‘Did she really just go there?’

She sure did. Travis Kelce’s ex took to X to drop a Stephen A. King GIF, captioned, “Soooo would this be a bad time to point out the significant societal disparity in pay between men and women….or????….Yea. Nvm nvm nvm. Maybe next week.” The timing? As sharp as her wit. Nicole’s tweet arrived on the heels of a massive storm stirred up by the Swifties—who weren’t too kind after her podcast comments went viral. The fitness influencer’s point was clear: this societal pay disparity ain’t just a topic for some far-off debate. It’s an actual issue that deserves the spotlight.

But Kayla Nicole isn’t the first to bring this gap into focus. Let’s rewind to Teen Choice Awards 2019. Taylor Swift used her speech to highlight equal pay for women. She rallied her fans to back the U.S. women’s soccer team’s legal battle against gender pay inequality. Swift highlighted that while the team was clinching World Cup victories, they were also making a ‘historic stand’ for gender equality and fair pay. The pop singer didn’t mince words when she asserted, “Get online and talk about it,” pushing her fanbase to take a stand.

Swift backed those remarks with some cold, hard numbers. Back then, the women’s World Cup prize money was a mere $30M. The men’s tournament, though? $448M. Now, that’s a solid gap of $418M! Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd, and Alex Morgan sued the U.S. Soccer Federation over gender discrimination and pay. 

Fast forward to today, and Nicole’s channeling that very energy. She’s using her platform (and online presence) to bring attention to a conversation that still hasn’t been resolved. In a world where female athletes and personalities continue to face pay gaps and societal backlash, the call for equality remains strong.

Despite the heavy heat from Swift’s dedicated fanbase, Travis Kelce’s ex didn’t flinch. But in a podcast following the tweet, Nicole choked back tears, feeling the weight of the backlash over her remarks. 

Kayla Nicole opened up about emotional backlash after podcast remarks 

Kayla Nicole’s got some serious game, but even the toughest players have their breaking points. Kelce’s ex found herself in tears, reflecting on the backlash she faced after discussing their past relationship on the Unapologetically Angel podcast.

“After the podcast came out, I thought that I handled things with grace,” the influencer said during her emotional appearance on Tuesday’s episode of I Am Athlete Daily. She felt she had played her cards right, answering the questions to the best of her ability. But when it came to public interpretation, the response hit harder than a LB’s tackle. The sports broadcaster asserted, “The public had their interpretation of things — didn’t matter to me.”

At first, Nicole stood firm. But the real shift came when her mom called. “My mom calls me, and it’s those conversations…that matter to me,” she said, holding back tears. Her mother’s distress hit hard. “She’s hurt by the way people treat her daughter on social media. She’s hurt with the negative headlines.” 

As she wrestled with her emotions, Kayla Nicole’s journey from confidence to concern was clear. In the end, it wasn’t the trolls that got to her—it was her mother’s heartbreak that hit the hardest. For Nicole, the game may go on, but this one stung deep.