Donna Kelce has become an NFL star in her own right, thanks to the unwavering support she shows to her sporting sons Jason and Travis Kelce. The 71-year-old is regularly pictured cheering Travis and Jason Kelce on from the stands, dividing her time between Lincoln Financial Field for Jason Kelce's Philadelphia Eagles appearances, and Kansas City Chiefs' home ground, Arrowhead Stadium, for Travis Kelce's games.
When Jason and Travis became the first brothers to play against each other in the Super Bowl last year, Donna famously wore split trainers and a shirt representing both teams and her son's numbers: 62 and 87 respectively.
Over the past few months, Donna Kelce has been spending more time with the one and only Taylor Swift, as the megastar's relationship with her youngest son Travis continues to flourish. So, here is everything you need to know about devoted football mum Donna Kelce, who could one day be the mother-in-law of the world-famous Taylor Swift...
Who is Donna Kelce?
Donna Kelce is a retired mum of two and grandmother of three. Jason Kelce has three daughters Wyatt, four, Elliotte, two and 11-month-old Bennett with wife Kylie Kelce.
Before retiring in October 2021, Donna worked for three decades in the banking industry. She holds an undergraduate degree from Ohio University in Communications, and she went on to achieve an MBA (Master of Business Administration) from Baldwin Wallace University.
Before giving up work, Donna had climbed the ladder to become the Senior Vice President of bank holding company Truist, which is based in North Carolina. She served in the position for 11 years.
How old is Donna Kelce?
Donna Kelce celebrates her birthday on 9 October. She was born in 1952, making her 71 years old.
What gift did Donna Kelce give to Taylor Swift?
Last month, Donna and Taylor joyously watched on as Kansas City Chiefs secured a 17-10 triumph against Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game, but it wasn't just the Chiefs' victory and Travis and Taylor's public acts of affection post-game that became a talking point. The singer's sweet tribute to her boyfriend didn't go unnoticed - a ring engraved with his jersey number. Well, it turns out that the jewellery was gifted to her by Donna.
As reported in the Daily Mail, Emily Bordner, owner of EB and Co. and designer of the ring, revealed, 'We gifted Donna some pairs [of earrings]. We know that she loved our earrings. And so, we wanted to gift her even more of Kelce themed products. So, we sent those to her and then we were hoping that she would give them to Taylor. And she did.'
While Donna and Taylor appear to be thicker than thieves (Donna has even updated her Facebook cover photo to include the Anti-Hero hitmaker), there was a time when Swifties feared their idol hadn't got the seal of approval from Travis' mum.
When Donna was asked in October about her son's relationship with Taylor, she said she felt 'okay' spending time with her in the Arrowhead Stadium, sparking rumours she perhaps wasn't keen. But Donna clarified in an interview a month later that the romance was 'fairly new', meaning she couldn't have a fully-formed opinion of Taylor at that time.
But as they have progressed, a 'beaming' Donna told The Wall Street Journal in November, 'I can tell you this, [Travis is] happier than I’ve seen him in a long time… God bless him. He shot for the stars!'
Are Donna Kelce and Ed Kelce married?
Donna and Ed Kelce tied the knot in the late 70s but divorced after 25 years of marriage. Speaking on an episode of their sons' podcast New Heights, Donna revealed how there has been zero animosity as they both continue to be Jason and Travis' strongest support system.
'I don’t hate him,' she said. 'We’re friends to this day. We get along great. 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.'
In the 2023 documentary Kelce, it came to light that the couple stayed together for the sake of the boys when they were growing up.
Ed explained, 'If we had split as we probably both would have preferred, that would have been a nightmare with the logistics, getting kids where they had to be and providing all the support.'
Is Donna Kelce a millionaire?
Multiple reports suggest that Donna's net worth sits around the $1.55 million mark (£1.2 million). It's unknown whether she makes any money from her sons' careers, but it seems as though she's getting by just fine!
Does Donna Kelce have Instagram?
You can find her at donnakelce, where she is halfway to a million followers.
Millie Payne is a News and Entertainment Writer for Grazia. She has specialised in showbiz interviews, features, articles and roundups for over three years and loves combining her love for writing, talking and all things popular culture.