Kayla Nicole attends skate event in Los Angeles, Calif.Photo:Charley Gallay/Getty
Charley Gallay/Getty
Reporter and fitness influencerKayla Nicolewrote a powerful open letter to Black girls amid the “backlash” she’s gotten from online trolls as her ex-boyfriendTravis Kelcemoves on to new relationships.
In a video shared onInstagram, Nicole, 31, whose past broadcast work includes ESPN, read her thoughtful message to the camera. “It’s always been really important for me to use my platform, not to create division, but to elevate and unite women, Black women specifically,” she said before beginning her address.
“Dear Black girl, they may call you a traitor for falling in love. You’ll hope the ones closest will protect you, but you will quickly find out that people don’t protect what they don’t value. They’ll say you’re too much, too provocative, too boisterous, too outspoken, and in the same breath, tell you that you aren’t enough.”
Nicole continued, “They’ll say you deserve the backlash and embarrassment. Because of your Blackness, you should have known better. They’ll even try to tie your value to your net worth. But Black girl, please remember your value lies elsewhere. Your value is deep within your heart.”
“You don’t have to participate in this tumultuous, often one-sided journey. Preserve your heart, even when they try to quantify your character and test your boundaries, you do not have to engage. You do not have to respond because there is power in your silence.”
Nicole encouraged listeners to use “that same power” to “silence the voices” that feed “this demoralizing and antiquated narrative.”
The model and host said she hopes sharing the message will remind other Black girls that they aren’t alone in their journeys. “My truth, trauma, and vulnerability are a relatable part of the human experience. I know I’m not alone and I want to make sure you know that you’re not either. On days when I feel most inadequate, I have to remind myself that I am, have been, and will always be more than enough,” Nicole read.
Reflecting on the ups and downs of relationships, Nicole said, “We love, we hurt, we heal,” adding, “Your story is yours to tell. when you feel like nobody knows or understands what it takes to be you, remember that you are a part of something way bigger.”
Concluding the letter, Nicole said, “Most importantly, I want you to remember that you are loved. You are valued. You are allowed to take up space. You deserve protection and your feelings — they matter too.”
Kayla Nicole attends the Actively Black NYFW after party at PEAK at Hudson Yards on September 08, 2023 in New York City.Bennett Raglin/Getty
Bennett Raglin/Getty
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Travis Kelce’s Ex Kayla Nicole Unfollows Brittany and Patrick Mahomes on Instagram amid Taylor Swift Rumors.Bennett Raglin/Getty; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
Bennett Raglin/Getty; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
Over the course of their relationship, Kelce and Nicole split publicly more than once. In May 2022, the couple broke up for a final time.
Kelce is rumored to be datingTaylor Swift, who has come to two of his games in recent weeks.The tight end said Fridaythat he’s “enjoying the moments,” betweenhanging out with Swift in Kansas Cityand seeing her watch his gamesalongside his mom, Donna Kelce.
“As all the attention comes…it feels like I was on top of the world after the Super Bowl and right now I’m even more on top of the world.”
source: people.com
