Taylor Swift dropped her new album The Life of a Showgirl on Friday, and one track—“Opalite”—is already stirring headlines. Swifties think the lyrics throw shade at Travis Kelce’s ex, Kayla Nicole.
But Nicole didn’t sit back. Instead, she hit Instagram with a subtle, pointed clapback that made her stance clear: she’s not here to compete.
The timing spoke volumes. According to Us Weekly, hours after Showgirl hit streaming, Nicole posted photos from a Hollywood Confidential dinner in L.A., styled in a brown silk halter dress and a curly bob. Her caption was all about respect: “What an honor to share a table with some of the most iconic ‘girlfriends’ of all time,” she wrote.
She thanked the organizers for creating space for “visibility, sisterhood, and storytelling,” a message that resonated as more significant than celebrity drama.
Then came the Story. Nicole reposted a throwback clip from America’s Next Top Model where Eva Marcille tells Tyra Banks, “I don’t compare myself to other girls. I’m Eva. I’m no comparison to anyone else.” Fans read it for what it was—a direct answer to speculation that “Opalite” was aimed at her.
Swift’s song didn’t help calm things down. On the track, she sings: “You couldn’t understand it, why you felt alone / You were in it for real, she was in her phone / And you were just a pose.”
With a resurfaced video of Kelce telling Nicole to put her phone away during dinner, listeners immediately connected the dots.
Nicole and Kelce dated on and off for five years before their 2022 split. Kelce’s relationship with Swift, meanwhile, has progressed at a rapid pace, culminating in an engagement this past August.
Still, Nicole’s made her position clear before: she’s not bitter. On her podcast, Pre-Game With Kayla Nicole, she explained, “If you’re gonna lose, I want to lose to the best team now. I want you to move on and go do your big one. Make me look good. Right?”