In the wake of Taylor Swift’s romance with football player Travis Kelce, the award-winning singer has become quick friends with fellow WAG Brittany Mahomes. The retired soccer player has been dating Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes since 2012, with Patrick sweetly asking out his future wife back in high school. Since then, the professional athletes have had two children together, tying the knot in 2022.

Though Swift and Brittany have had some major BFF moments since becoming friends, the “Cardigan” singer isn’t the first of Kelce’s girlfriends to become close to the Mahomes. From 2017 to 2022, Kelce had an on-and-off relationship with Kayla Nicole, a sports journalist and fashion influencer. Throughout this time, Nicole became good friends with Brittany, attending her baby shower back in 2020 and joining her bridal party in 2022.

However, as the Kansas City Chiefs tight end has embarked on a new romance, Nicole and Brittany’s relationship has become increasingly complicated. “That’s a lot of history and friendship there, that doesn’t change overnight,” Nicole told People about her friendship with Mahomes. “But publicly, because things are happening so quickly and so publicly, I have to protect myself. That’s really all that is. The love is still there.”

Kayla Nicole and Brittany Mahomes’ friendship stretches back years, with the two celebrating wins from the sidelines and sharing life milestones outside the arena. Even when Travis Kelce and Nicole permanently called things off in May 2022, it seemed the two women would manage to maintain their friendship, with Nicole attending Brittany’s surprise birthday party in August 2023.

However, as Kelce moved on with pop icon Taylor Swift, things became more complicated between Nicole and Mahomes. Unwanted attention from Swifties brewed bad blood for Nicole and Swift even as Brittany grew closer to the “Blank Space” singer. Ultimately, Nicole ended up unfollowing both Patrick and Brittany Mahomes sometime in October 2023, with the social media influencer opening up to People about the decision.

Nicole revealed that she still has much love for her old friend, but she’s also interested in putting the previous chapter of her life behind her. “I still love my KC people and my KC community so much,” she said. “But for me in my life, I have to move forward and everyone has to respect that. And hopefully when they respect that, that means that they’re no longer inserting me into things that do not involve me.”

Kayla Nicole directly addressed unfollowing Brittany and Patrick Mahomes, but she also seemed to reference the end of her long-standing friendship in an Instagram Q&A in November 2023. The sports journalist was asked anonymously by a follower if she had any advice for losing friends, and she may have drawn from her experiences with Brittany in her thoughtful answer.

“Friendship breakups are tough,” she wrote (via the Daily Mail). “Give yourself time and permission to grieve — because losing that bond can be heartbreaking. But also, acknowledge the bounty and beauty of friendships that you still have. Shift your focus from what you’ve lost to what you have maintained, and even more exciting — the new friendships you will forge in time.”

The advice makes a lot of sense coming from the internet personality. Though her friendship with Brittany is on the outs, Nicole has actually maintained connections with other WAGs and NFL figures. In this way, it’s likely that Patrick Mahomes’ tight bond with Travis Kelce and Brittany’s subsequent friendship with Swift were truly the complicating factors in Nicole and Brittany’s friendship.