Football fans have quickly learned Jason Kelce‘s wife, Kylie Kelce, is the real MVP of the family — and her mother-in-law, Donna Kelce, was a fan from the start.
“She is just one of those individuals that takes everything onto herself. She doesn’t need any help,” Donna, 71, exclusively told Us Weekly of Kylie, 31, while promoting her partnership with Heluva Good!
Donna took Us inside her bond with Kylie, revealing what brought the pair together when they met. “I think women’s sports, we both love that. A lot of just really fun things,” she explained of her relationship with the former field hockey player.
Donna and her daughter-in-law have more in common than their love of athletics. “We’re just very similar in our likes and dislikes and how we feel about the world and everything that goes on in the United States,” she continued. “So yeah, we pretty much have the same temperature when it comes to what’s going on.”
The dynamic duo even have a shared interest in entertaining. “Our family has always been very small, just the four of us,” Donna said of sons Jason, 36, and Travis Kelce and their dad, Ed Kelce. “That’s what it was [like] growing up. She has an extended family that’s quite large, so [they’re] used to entertaining, used to making big, big meals and a lot of go-to recipes, for sure.”
Jason and Kylie tied the knot in 2018 and share three daughters: Wyatt, 4, Elliotte, 2, and Bennett, 10 months. Kylie was 38 weeks pregnant with the pair’s third baby when Jason and the Philadelphia Eagles faced off against Travis, 34, and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. (The Chiefs ultimately defeated the Eagles in the February 2023 championship.)
While NFL devotees have been fond of the Kelce family for years, their story has charmed a new fanbase thanks in part to Travis’ romance with Taylor Swift. The couple sparked a romance after Travis publicly praised Swift’s Eras Tour on his “New Heights” podcast in July 2023. Two months later, Swift, 34, was spotted cheering on the Chiefs from a VIP suite in Arrowhead Stadium with Donna.
Swift has made several appearances at Chiefs games since — even bringing along some of her famous friends when the team played the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium — but fans have yet to see her and Kylie interact. Donna previously hinted during an October 2023 podcast interview that Kylie likes to be closer to the field, which she confirmed herself before the Chiefs vs. Eagles game in November 2023.
“I’m a stands girl,” Kylie explained. “I love sitting in the stands, cheering with the fans even if it’s in an opposing team’s stadium.”
Jason and the Eagles are out of the running for LVIII after losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32-9 on Monday, January 15, in what was reportedly the last game of his 13-year career. Kylie, Donna and Ed were all in attendance.
While fans won’t be getting a rematch of the 2023 Super Bowl this year, the Chiefs are still fighting their way through the playoffs. Donna is ready for whatever the post-season brings, thanks to the Heluva Good! Big Game Countdown Calendar. Starting Tuesday, January 16, sports lovers can enter to win a limited number of the calendars, which feature a seven-day countdown with various dips and other surprises (including one of Donna’s favorite recipes) for the big game.
“I really like the jalapeño cheddar, and I use that in a seven layered Tex-Mex dip recipe,” Donna told Us of the “tasty” Heluva Good! flavors. “They’re made with real cream and real milk, so they’re very nutritious as well as really good to put on the table and be proud of.”
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
