Who Is the Mother of Patriots Receiver Kayshon Boutte’s Son?
Boutte was selected by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Two years later, the team made the playoffs for the first time since the 2021 season. On Jan. 18, 2026, the Pats faced the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round. In that game, Boutte had three receptions for 75 yards and one touchdown in the 28–16 win.
Just days before the AFC Championship game, Boutte wrote a piece about his past gambling addiction and how having a child changed him. Here’s more about the wide receiver’s family.
When Boutte became a father
Before entering the NFL, Boutte played his college ball at Louisiana State University. In his junior year at LSU, he became a dad.
Boutte’s son, Kaylan, was born on Sept. 22, 2022. Shortly after his birth, the wideout gushed about his little one, telling NOLA.com that he wasn’t getting any sleep after Kaylan came home from the hospital but didn’t mind because “It’s real. I love him so much.”
The mother of Boutte’s son is Kayla Fortenberry. While the athlete has tried to keep the details of his personal life private, her name was revealed in connection with a 2024 online gambling investigation and legal case. Boutte was accused of using an online sportsbook account under Fortenberry’s name while underage. The affidavit provided some other details about her identity, including that Fortenberry lived in Georgia and was born on Nov. 30, 2000.
In January 2024, Boutte was arrested for underage gambling and computer fraud.
Boutte says having his son changed his life
Boutte detailed the dark times in his life and the spiral his gambling took him down in his piece for the Players’ Tribune. But he said that having his son is what made him turn his life around.
“I wish I could tell you I came to my senses on my own … But honestly, only two things saved me,” he wrote. “One was getting healthy enough to play football again. The other was becoming a father, as a junior in college. Nothing wakes you up faster than that. I just looked at myself in the mirror one day and realized, ‘Bruh the way you living ain’t healthy.’ And if I’m being honest, I think there was probably a little bit of shame to that realization, too. Growing up, my dad was a real hard-working dude. I didn’t really come from a rich household, but anything we wanted, my parents made it happen. And I wanted to be that for my family.
“Having a kid coming into the world. I think that’s when I started taking my mental health more seriously and things got better for me. After my junior year, because of everything I went through, I still wasn’t 100% physically. But by the grace of God, I made it to the NFL. By the grace of God, New England saw potential in me.”
The gambling and fraud charges against Boutte were dropped in July 2024.
How to get help: In the U.S. and Canada, contact the National Council on Problem Gambling helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
