Donna Kelce Says She Had to ‘Stand Still’ in Her Marriage to Ed Until Their Divorce: ‘We Stayed Together for the Kids’

“Mama Kelce” said she and Ed had “a very friendly relationship” to ensure Travis and Jason’s lives were as “normal as possible”

Donna Kelce has always set a strong example for her boys.

For Glamour’s 2024 Women of the Year: The Moms issue, the 71-year-old matriarch shared what it was like for her and ex-husband Ed Kelce to raise their sons — retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, 36, and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, 34 — before they got famous.

“I was a commercial banker for a bank in several different states. I wanted to get ahead. I worked really, really hard. I was a major breadwinner in the family,” Kelce said. “And I think it’s important for kids to see that a woman can do whatever she wants, but I did stand still, too.”

“My husband and I knew that our marriage was not working, but we stayed together for the kids,” Donna explained. “Ours was a very friendly relationship. So, we could do that and make sure that their life was normal as possible. But in that one respect, I did stand still for several years until I could move on on my own.”

Related: Donna Kelce Named in Glamour's 2024 Women of the Year Alongside Moms of Beyoncé, Billie Eilish and Selena Gomez 

Donna shared her thoughts in Glamour’s group interview, which also included Beyoncé and Solange’s mom Tina Knowles, 70; Billie Eilish and Finneas’ mom Maggie Baird, 65; and Selena Gomez and Gracie Teefey’s mom Mandy Teefey, 48.

She also revealed what motherhood was like for her, saying that “being a mom is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

“It’s so much easier to just go to work, but raising children, when they’re totally dependent on you and you’re trying to do the best you can with the limited resources that you have, it’s the most daunting task I’ve ever had to do,” Donna added.

Related: Donna Kelce's Best Moments with Her Sons Jason and Travis Kelce

But now that her boys are grown, Donna has been making time for herself.

This Christmas, she’s set to appear in the Hallmark Channel's upcoming Kansas City-set movie, Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.

She also makes a cameo in another film, titled Christmas on Call, which centers on "the lives of first responders in Philadelphia" who "intersect over the holiday season while juggling work, personal lives, and their dedication to protect and serve their city," according to the logline.

In it, Donna can be seen proudly sporting an Eagles jersey.

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Related: Donna Kelce Attends Grotesquerie Premiere in Support of Son Travis' New Role

But keeping true in not playing favorites, Donna recently attended the New York City premiere of FX’s Grotesquerie in support of Travis’ role in the series.

“You know, I don’t think they realize the pressure that people are under, whether they’re athletes or professionals that are in front of the camera. And it's just very difficult, there’s a lot of things going on behind the scenes,” she told PEOPLE at the Sept. 23 event in regards to addressing the NFL haters famously nicknamed "dads, Brads, and Chads” by Travis' girlfriend Taylor Swift. 

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