Kayla Nicole is speaking up about her sudden internet fame. The former NFL reporter and influencer was honored on Tuesday as part of xoNecole’s It Girl 100 Class of 2025 in the Viral Voices category.In an exclusive interview with xoNecole, she explains how she tries to stay grounded online.“I refuse to let the internet consume me. It’s supposed to be a resource and tool for connection, so if it becomes anything beyond that I will log out,” Nicole said.Her comments come after two major issues put her back at the center of online conversations.Firstly, the resurfacing of her old offensive tweets and her Toni Braxton-inspired Halloween outfit.Nicole now thinks carefully before sharing anything publicly.“There’s definitely a delicate dance between being genuine and oversharing, and I’ve had to learn that the hard way,” she said. “Now I share from a place of reflection, not reaction. If it can help someone feel seen or less alone, I’ll talk about it within reason. But I’ve certainly learned to protect parts of my life that I cherish most. I share what serves connection but doesn’t cost me peace.” View this post on Instagram Instagram PostOn November 7, screenshots of her X posts from 2010-2014 began spreading online. The tweets included racist and homophobic slurs. It led to Kayla Nicole deleting her account.She later apologized on Instagram on Nov. 13.“I want to take a moment to sincerely apologize for the hurtful tweets I posted so many years ago. Seeing them resurface last week has been incredibly difficult, and reading them now, I’m ashamed that I ever thought or spoke that way,” Nicole wrote.She added that the person she is today “would never use those words or express those kinds of views.”Before the tweets resurfaced, Kayla Nicole faced backlash over her Halloween outfit. She dressed as Toni Braxton from the “He Wasn’t Man Enough” music video and lip-synched to it.Many fans speculated that she was taking a dig at her ex-boyfriend, Travis Kelce and his fiancée, Taylor Swift.Nicole denied that on Nov. 3. She said on her "Pre-Game" podcast that her costume was only meant to honor Braxton, an artist she has always loved.She further doubled down at the Ebony Power 100 Gala on Nov. 4.Kayla Nicole is enjoying her career she once thought was impossible to build with a degree in JournalismKayla Nicole's career at present is a good mix of journalism, entertainment, sports and pop culture.For a long time, she did not think a path like this was possible.Now, she hosts her podcast, "The Pre-Game," a show that lets her talk about sports in a fun, pop-culture style that feels natural to her.But her life today looks very different from what she expected after graduating from Pepperdine University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and Political Science.“I just knew I was going to end up on a local news network at the head anchor table, breaking high speed chases, and tossing it to the weather girl,” she said per the xoNecole article.However, she started her career in Hollywood as an Assistant at TMZ, then worked as a freelance sports reporter.Beyond podcasting, Kayla Nicole takes acting classes, attends events like New York Fashion Week, and builds her wellness brand, Tribe Therepē.