All About Donna Kelce's Life Outside Football
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Donna Kelce
Donna Kelce has become a celebrity in her own right as the matriarch of football's first family. As the mother of Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, Donna has been in the spotlight attending their games and cheering them on as they achieved incredible success in the NFL. With one son's team winning the 2023 Super Bowl (that would be Travis's) and the other making it as his opponent, Donna literally had a win-win situation as a proud football mom.
As if having two sons playing professional ball wasn't exciting enough, Donna's life got even more interesting when Travis began a high-profile relationship with pop superstar Taylor Swift. Between making playoff pushes, snagging touchdowns, earning MVP nods, and potentially walking red carpets with a mega celebrity girlfriend, Travis and Jason have given their sweet mother quite the adventurous life in her retirement.
While some sports moms have difficulty splitting their attention and affection between multiple athletic sons, Donna doesn't seem to have that problem. She loves her boys equally, even if she has joked Jason gets some extra credit for making her a grandmother.
Read on to learn more about the incredible journey Donna Kelce has been on thanks to her talented family.
What does Donna Kelce do for a living?
Donna was a hard-working mother who pursued a long career in the banking industry before retiring in 2021. She started out earning her MBA from Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio while also working full-time jobs. Donna steadily moved up the corporate ladder, eventually landing vice president and senior vice president positions at various banking organizations in the Cleveland area. Her 30-plus-year career in the financial sector culminated with retirement after more than a decade as a senior executive.
How old is Donna Kelce?
Donna was born on Oct. 9, 1952 making her 71 at the time of this writing in January 2024.
Is Donna Kelce married?
No, Donna Kelce is not currently married. She was married to Jason and Travis Kelce's father, Ed, for more than 25 years.
Related: Who Is Travis and Jason Kelce's Dad? All About Ed Kelce
How did Donna Kelce and Ed Kelce meet?
Donna met ex-husband Ed Kelce randomly one night at a bar in Cleveland. She was actually on her way to meet another date when she decided to stop for a drink first.
“I was supposed to go with a guy that night. We were supposed to go to a play, and I never made it. Your dad and I talked forever,” Donna shared on an episode of her sons’ podcast, New Heights. “It was meant to be. It’s just the way it was.”
They tied the knot about five years before welcoming oldest son Jason, who was born in 1987.
Are Donna and Ed Kelce still married?
No, they divorced more than 25 years into their marriage.
In the in the family’s 2023 documentary, Kelce, Travis spoke about his parents' dynamic: “I knew my mom and dad’s situation was different than other parents. I would go have sleepovers at other houses and the other parents are staying in the [one] room, and my parents didn’t stay in the same room. I started making those connections when I was in middle school and I realized that they were probably gonna split. But they stayed together for me and Jason’s benefit, I believe.”
Donna told her sons about her relationship with their father on New Heights, saying, “I don’t hate him. We’re friends to this day. We get along great.” She continued: “We were like a tag team with you two. We got to do all sorts of fun things. When one of you had to go out of town, the other person would help with the other child. It was perfect.”
When did Donna and Ed Kelce get divorced?
Donna and Ed Kelce's marriage ended after more than 25 years, around the time both of their sons were in college (Jason started in 2006 and Travis in 2008).
Is Donna Kelce remarried?
No. She hasn't remarried and hasn’t been part of any public relationships.
Where does Donna Kelce live?
Despite her Ohio roots, Donna Kelce now lives in a condo in Orlando, Florida.
Does Donna Kelce like Taylor Swift?
Donna appears supportive of Travis' high-profile relationship with pop star Taylor Swift. She has hung out with Taylor at Chiefs games and had nothing but nice things to say about her.
"I can tell you this," Donna shared with Wall Street Journal , speaking about Travis. "He's happier than I've seen him in a long time.... God bless him, he shot for the stars!"
Also, Donna posted this to her Instagram:
So yeah, Donna might like Taylor.
Related: Everything To Know About Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Relationship
Does Donna Kelce prefer one son over the other?
While Donna loves both of her sons equally, she has playfully faced accusations of favoring Jason in recent years, simply because he is the only son who has given her grandchildren so far. "Jason would say that I'm going to root for the baby of the family, which is Travis. And I keep telling him, 'No, you've given me grandchildren.' So we'll leave it at that. It's always about the grands," Donna joked on an episode of the Today show ahead of the Chiefs versus Eagles Super Bowl game in February 2023.
Related: Jason Kelce Is the 'Ultimate Girl Dad' While Helping a Young Swiftie During Chiefs Game
“Each one has been my favorite at certain times in their lives,” Donna told Entertainment Tonight last year. “Right now, Jason’s a little ahead because of the grandchildren. “But I’m sure Travis will take it over soon one of these days. I can’t, you know, as a mother, you just can’t pick one against the other. It’s 50/50 and it always will be.”
The lighthearted "favorite child" debates just come with the territory of being a proud mom of two incredible NFL stars.
