Nearly four years after splitting from Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, influencer Kayla Nicole has reignited conversation with a Super Bowl commercial many interpret as subtle shade toward her ex and his fiancée Taylor Swift. The ad for fantasy sports platform Sleeper aired during the 2026 Super Bowl on February 8, featuring Nicole alongside Tiffany Haddish and Ben Simmons in a fictional law firm parody.
The "Simmons & Haddish" spot presented the duo as attorneys specializing in "ex-communication" for victims of high-profile breakups. Haddish opened: "Have you or someone you know been injured emotionally in a high-profile relationship? It's very common." Simmons added a meta-layer: "Are your exes subbing you in commercials?"—a nod to Kendall Jenner's recent Fanatics ad about her NBA exes.
The Comedic Premise
The fictional firm promised "retribution" (corrected to "compensation") for emotional injuries. Haddish and Simmons delivered their tagline—"You need the ex-communicators"—with synchronized arm crosses, creating a memorable visual.
Nicole appeared as a dissatisfied client: "Don't get me started on these two. They've got no idea what they're doing. At all." Her deadpan delivery carried authentic undertones. The casting also included Love Island USA's Ace Greene and rapper Offset (estranged from Cardi B), each contributing self-aware humor about their relationship histories.
The "Swiftly" Reference
Nicole's key dialogue sparked the most analysis. "Simmons & Haddish promised me they could end this 'ex-girlfriend' fiasco quickly," she said. When Simmons corrected her, Nicole offered "rapidly," then "pronto." Simmons' final clarification—"I said swiftly, why is that so hard to remember?"—immediately triggered speculation about referencing Taylor Swift.
The 36-year-old pop superstar has been engaged to Kelce since early 2025. While the ad never names names, contextual clues created unmistakable subtext. This coded communication transforms viewers into active participants, each decoding and sharing the reference, driving organic reach.
Five Years with Kelce
Nicole and Kelce's relationship spanned approximately five years, ending in May 2022. During that time, Nicole built a substantial following as a sports journalist and lifestyle influencer. Their split occurred privately, with both maintaining respectful silence.
As Kelce's romance with Swift became the decade's most scrutinized pairing, Nicole occasionally faced comparison. Rather than avoiding the conversation, she has strategically engaged with it on her own terms.
October Prelude: Opalite Theories
This wasn't Nicole's first interaction with the Kelce-Swift narrative. In October 2025, she subtly responded to fan theories that Swift's song "Opalite" from "The Life of a Showgirl" referenced her. Swift's fanbase had drawn connections Nicole acknowledged without confirming.
Her participation in the commercial demonstrates a calculated embrace of the narrative. By using humor, she maintains agency over her public image while capitalizing on the cultural moment.
Kelce's Ceremonial Role
Adding surreal convergence, Kelce attended the 2026 Super Bowl as a spectator. The Seattle Seahawks' 29-13 victory marked his first Super Bowl Sunday as a non-participant after three consecutive appearances with the Chiefs.
His presence involved presenting the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. The juxtaposition of his ceremonial role against Nicole's commercial cameo created a unique intersection of personal history and professional spectacle.
Monetizing Celebrity Breakups
The ad exemplifies a growing trend: monetizing relationship narratives. What was once private territory has become viable content, reflecting evolving attitudes toward authenticity.
The casting strategy created authenticity through real connections. Simmons' history with Kendall Jenner, Offset's marital situation, and Nicole's past with Kelce lent credibility. These weren't detached performances but public figures engaging with versions of their own stories.
Marketing Psychology
Including Nicole generated discussion through sophisticated allusion. Each viewer who decodes the reference becomes a brand evangelist, sharing interpretations and expanding reach. The ambiguity provides plausible deniability while maximizing cultural relevance.
The semantic debate created a memorable audio hook. The final emphasis on "swiftly" ensured the reference landed without explicit statement, demonstrating linguistic precision in modern advertising.
Industry Shift
This approach may signal a paradigm shift in endorsements. Traditional campaigns feature polished, disconnected performances. The new model demands wit and self-awareness but promises greater audience connection.
Success requires precise calibration. Too subtle, and references go unnoticed; too obvious, and they appear desperate. The ad navigates this by maintaining comedic distance while delivering recognizable winks.
Social Media Response
Within hours, the commercial spawned thousands of posts and reaction videos. Fans dissected Nicole's delivery, debating whether the shade represented humor or resentment. Nicole's social channels saw engagement spikes, with followers praising her narrative reclamation.
The predominant response framed her participation as empowering—transforming a personal chapter into professional opportunity.
Conclusion: Strategic Narrative Control
Kayla Nicole's appearance represents modern celebrity narrative management. Rather than allowing others to define her story, she participated in the cultural conversation on her own comedic terms. The commercial demonstrates how public figures can leverage personal history into compelling content without sacrificing dignity.
As entertainment and branding converge, such moments may become common. The differentiator lies in execution—transforming vulnerability into strength through timing and self-awareness. Whether interpreted as shade, satire, or commerce, the impact is clear: Nicole secured her voice on television's largest stage, controlled her message, and turned her past into profit.