Nicole Renee Taylor – better known as Niki Taylor – became one of modeling’s brightest stars before she could even drive. Born on March 5, 1975, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, she landed the cover of Vogue at just fifteen. For most models, that would’ve been a career highlight to dine out on for years. For Niki, it was just the starting line.
Her face came to define the glossy, big-haired, supermodel vibe of ’90s fashion. Magazine covers stacked up, major campaigns kept calling, and she walked runways while her peers were still studying for the SATs. But it wasn’t just her looks that set her apart. It was her knack for reinventing herself – and her grit. After a horrific car accident in 2001 nearly derailed her life, Niki didn’t disappear from public view. She came back stronger, moving into TV and building a business – the kind of longevity few in her industry manage to pull off. To last in fashion, you need more than good genes; you need to be tough. Niki proved she was both.
Her Personal Life and Marriage
Niki Taylor and race car driver Burney Lamar tied the knot in December 2006 – and nearly twenty years later, they still seem genuinely happy together. Their romance moved at lighting speed (they were engaged after a month!), but sometimes things just click. Anyone who’s ever fallen head-over-heels in love knows that feeling.
Before Burney, Niki had her share of relationships in the glare of the public eye. She married former Miami Hooters linebacker Matt Martinez in 1994, right around the time her modeling career was peaking. That marriage quietly ended just two years later. She was also linked to Nashville Predators player Rob Niedermayer (sports fans might remember his own moment in the sun), and – believe it or not – there’s another Matt Martinez who popped up in her dating life, but no, not the same guy. Life is weird.
Of course, no glamorous ’90s supermodel was immune to rumors. Niki’s name was tossed around in tabloid whispers alongside stars like Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio. Were the rumors true? Maybe, maybe not. Hollywood gossip from back then often had only a passing relationship with reality.
How She’s Approached Love
If there’s a running theme in Niki’s personal life, it’s her tendency to keep things low-key. She’s never courted drama or performed her private ups and downs for public consumption. When her first marriage ended, she exited quietly. When relationships fizzled, she didn’t try to spin the narrative. She just kept moving.
That kind of privacy feels almost old-fashioned now, in a world where couples fight (and make up) for likes on Instagram. But Niki’s always seemed determined to keep some part of herself private. Her marriage to Burney Lamar, from all outward appearances, is built on a quiet kind of partnership – mutual respect, shared values, time spent far from the bright lights.
She’s spoken about wanting authenticity in her relationships, about finding someone who sees her as a person first, model second. That might sound simple, but after growing up in the spotlight, it’s no small feat. Real connection is hard to come by when the world is watching.
Past Relationships
Burney Lamar
Keith Urban
Chris Paciello
Rob Niedermayer
Matt Martinez
That, in the end, is the heart of Niki Taylor’s story. It’s not just about the covers or the catwalks. It’s about picking yourself up after life knocks you down, knowing when to step out of the spotlight, and building a real life that lasts long after the cameras disappear.