Donna Kelce is often found in the crowd at her sons' NFL games, sporting Chiefs red, Eagles green or sometimes both, cheering them on. Her appearances Sept. 24 and Oct. 1 drew extra eyes, though, due to a surprise guest — Taylor Swift, who's rumored to be romancing with Donna Kelce's younger son.
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift have become an enormous media spectacle — but for Donna Kelce, her sons' personal lives are for them to share or not share.
The famous NFL mom stopped by TODAY Oct. 6 to talk about her new partnership with KIND Snacks, as well as how she's handling life in the NFL and pop culture spotlight.
"I've been bringing KIND bars for years, I've always had them in my bags," she told Hoda and Savannah of her Donna’s Purse Snacks (now sold out!).
As for her son's rumored relationship, she kept mum. When asked if she thinks it’s a budding romance, she told Savannah and Hoda, “I honestly can’t tell you. It’s just too new.”
She later sat down with TODAY.com to talk more about her perspective on the NFL scene, her sons' futures in the league — and how she'll know when a romance for her younger son is meant to be.
This interview is edited and condensed for clarity.
Donna, you are the star of the show right now. Can you describe a moment where it hit you that this is your life now?
I don't think this is my life now — I thought, "This is fleeting, just lean into it, have a great time and it'll be over soon." But that's not the case. I feel like I'm in an alternate universe. I feel like it's morphed into something bigger than I could have ever expected. And especially at my age, you know, my career is over. I'm retired. There are no words for it. It's just mind boggling.
Do you think this is going to last?
I don't. I think once the kids are out of football, it'll be over. But it's kind of cool, and that's fine.
Did you watch the "Kelce" documentary?
Oh, yes. I cried through the whole thing. But it was cool to relive that segment all over again. It was just such an amazing thing to be able to share that with my boys. And I just really enjoyed it.
You talked about the sacrifices you had to make for football, in your personal life and marriage. Could you talk more about that decision to stay in your marriage for your sons?
The kids were busy at a very young age, and it took both of us. You know, we're splitting going to different sporting events and what have you — they weren't in the same age group.
After a while you grow apart. I mean, some people just do. We realized early on that this wasn't going to be forever. But we were going to make it as friendly and as calm and as wonderful as we possibly could for them. So we decided as a team — that's what we are, we're a team — we're going to raise these boys and they're not going to be in a split home. That was our choice.
He was a loving father. He was a wonderful human being to them. And I felt that that was important. There were no issues. ... He was a good guy. It's just, you know, sometimes things like that happen.
Was that a conscious decision?
Basically, Ed was like, "I will not be away from my kids growing up. I just will not." And I’m like, "I agree. That’s it. You’re going to be there. I’m not raising two boys on my own either."
It’s hard. It’s hard to be a single parent. I’ve seen my friends do it. And it is not pretty.
Have you thought about your sons' retirements? If it were up to you, when would you want them to retire?
No, it's totally up to them. This is their decision. I don't want them blaming myself or anyone else when they decide that they want to call it quits. It's got to be their decision. They're the ones who have to live with it the rest of their lives. So you have to decide whether the pros outweigh the cons.
Have they ever come to you with those discussions about pros and cons?
No. I'll tell you this — I learned a long time ago that when my boys left the house at 18, I’m like, they’re never coming back. I said, this is it. Football is just so encompassing, and it’s every week. It’s all through holidays and this and that. I knew this was going to be the life, that they were going to be on a trip that they don’t need their parents anymore.
The NFL has tons of professionals to help them make decisions about finance, about medical about everything else. There’s nothing I can tell them as a parent that they can’t get from the professionals. So I just let the advice come from those that do, and just love my kids and have a good time when I’m with them.
Was it around 18 when they stopped coming to you for advice?
I don’t think they ever came to me for advice. They were pretty independent from a very young age. I was at work all the time. And Ed was also. He was there during the day, but he also was a manufacturing rep, so he was on the road a lot.
So basically, you’ve got coaches, other parents on the street — there are so many people that affected my kids' lives, that helped them. I was just there to facilitate. I was there to make sure their uniforms were clean, that they got fed, that they were up in the morning, that they had their books or their homework or whatever. That’s kind of what my role was.
I really didn’t give them advice. They talked to us a little bit about some things, but basically, boys aren’t real chatters. They’re not going to pour their their heart and soul out. They’re going to do that with their friends or other people. So, it is what it is.
Did Travis or Jason ever talk about their romantic lives with you?
No. In fact, I never met any of the people that Jason ever dated. Not one — until he knew Kylie was the one. He brought her around, and I'm like, "Yeah, she's definitely it."
Before meeting Kylie, had you imagined what kind of person might make the best partner for each of your sons?
No. But (Kylie and Jason) really are good. They complement each other. I just think she's the best person that Jason could have picked. She's just amazing. She loves Philadelphia. He loves Philadelphia. They're just, they're really suited for each other. They really are.
Did you think about the kind of person Travis might need?
No. I really haven't. I've seen some of the people that he's dated. But it's up to him.
I want to see that smile on his face, the brightness, the sparkle in his eyes, like Jason has. That's what I want to see, and I hope I'll see that some day.
The big thing Travis and Jason talked about on their podcast this week: Is the NFL overdoing the coverage of the potential relationship between your son and Taylor Swift. What do you think?
I know that's what the boys think. But why wouldn't (the NFL) capitalize on it? I mean, they're laughing all the way to the bank. So I don't think it's too much. But I know they do. It's their lives.
You recently mentioned that your favorite Taylor Swift song is "Shake It Off," and that you're having to shake off some haters. What are they hating on?
I think they're just tired of it. They're tired of the Kelces. Especially if they're really into their teams, it's like, "Enough. We don't want to hear about them anymore." I think that's what it's going to get to eventually.
But right now, it's financially a good decision for a lot of different individuals to jump on the bandwagon right now.
Is that how you respond to that hate?
I don't really answer. People are going to be either jealous or tired of it or whatever, and they can make whatever comments they want. But I don't have to agree with them or be upset by them.
It's just their opinion. And the only opinion that matters is mine.
I know it was Travis' birthday Oct. 5. Did you reach out to him?
I did. I didn’t reach out to him yesterday because I knew he was going to get about a thousand texts. So I reached out to him the day before, and I said, "I know it’s not your birthday until tomorrow, but happy birthday." And he, as always, says, "Love you, mommy." He still says that.
Jason has changed to "mom," but Travis — he doesn't care. He does it for a laugh, mostly.
Is there anything else you want to reflect on about this year?
There’s just been so much that has happened this year. It just seems like every month, there's something to go to, someplace to be, which is kind of nice, because I’ve seen them more this year than I’ve ever seen them really, especially when they got into football.
Being a pro not only means you play a game, but you have to practice, you have to be there, you have to do lifting. It’s a very demanding job. ... So it’s very difficult in the season to get to talk to them. If it's away, it's maybe five minutes. And sometimes they’re hurt, they can’t come out ... so sometimes you don’t get to see him, even on the road. So you just cherish the moments that you do have.
I was just in Philadelphia, and it was (Jason's daughter) Wyatt's birthday. And it was great to be with the family for a couple of days. So it’s kind of fun, when you get to have those precious moments.
Is their podcast "New Heights" sometimes how you hear about how they're doing?
Yeah, it's kind of neat, because I can see them once a week, and I actually get to hear what they're feeling, what they're thinking.
But they've always been like that, they always feed off of each other. They constantly berate each other. They're their worst critics and their best champions. So it's just what brothers are. There have been a couple of times when it's been rough for both of them, but they always, in the end, are really supportive.
