Kayla Nicole was among the stars who attended the 2025 Ebony Power 100 Gala, joining a lineup that included Tracee Ellis Ross, Iman, Winnie Harlow, and Shaquille O’Neal.
According to USA Today, Nicole walked the red carpet in a bright yellow gown, posing for photographers at the annual event honoring influential figures across entertainment, sports, media, and culture.
The Ebony Power 100 Gala red carpet featured a range of high-profile looks, with appearances from Marsai Martin, Ari Lennox, and Karrueche Tran, among others.
The event comes shortly after Nicole became a topic of widespread online discussion. On Halloween, Nicole posted a video recreating scenes from Toni Braxton’s “He Wasn’t Man Enough” music video. The post circulated quickly, in part because Nicole previously dated Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who is now engaged to Taylor Swift.
Some viewers interpreted the Halloween tribute as a reference to the former relationship, which led to increased attention on Nicole’s social media presence.
In the days following the costume post, Swifties on X (formerly Twitter) began resurfacing old tweets from Nicole’s account dating back to the early 2010s.
The posts shared in threads were described by users as containing offensive language, including remarks labeled racist, homophobic, sexist, and ableist. As screenshots continued to spread, the account associated with Nicole was deleted from the platform.
The deleted account became part of a further discussion, with users noting the timing in relation to the resurfaced tweets and the Halloween costume discourse. Nicole has not publicly commented on the resurfaced posts or the deletion of the account.
Before these recent events, Nicole had spoken in interviews about her ongoing shift in career focus. In an October conversation with People, she discussed her move toward podcasting, fitness, and wellness content.
She hosts The Pre-Game With Kayla Nicole, a weekly show centered on pop culture conversations and guest interviews. She also runs Tribe Therepē, a wellness and fitness brand that offers programming and guided workout content. The brand was previously called Strong Is Sexy before undergoing a rebrand and relaunch.
Nicole told People that her schedule varies day to day as she works across content, wellness programming, and new opportunities in the fashion industry. She also noted that she has prioritized mental health practices while navigating shifts in public visibility. “I can’t control the headlines,” Nicole said in the interview. “All that I can control is how I navigate through it.”