Mama Kelce Sends a Direct Message to 'Dads, Brads and Chads' in Defense of Travis

Donna Kelce is in "mama bear" mode as she attempts to quell the negative comments about her son, Travis Kelce.

In recent weeks, the 34-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end has been rocked by opinions over the legitimacy of his relationship with Taylor Swift, dubbed a "nepo-boyfriend," and scrutinized by a former ESPN personality for his "partying" behavior during the offseason.

Now, 71-year-old NFL mom-turned-Hallmark star is speaking out in defense of the three-time Super Bowl champ, telling PEOPLE reporters at an event on Monday, Sept. 23 that all of the criticism has been "tough" to hear as a mother.

"It’s tough, it really is," Donna shared while supporting Travis ahead of the premiere of the new FX series created by Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz and Joe Baken, Grotesquerie. The show stars the athlete alongside General Hospital's Nicholas Chavez, Niecy Nash-Betts, Courtney B. Vance, Lesley Manville, Micaela Diamond and Raven Goodwin.

"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 added in her message, which the outlet confirmed was directed towards the haters nicknamed "dads, Brads, and Chads" by Swift.

"You don’t realize how many times people are trying to keep you from catching the ball or trying to trip you up or hit you," Mama Kelce continued, "so it's kinda hard when you’ve got people that are in your face 24/7."

Despite the fierce competition–in sports and entertainment–her youngest of two sons appears to be doing a fabulous job making the cut for first string. In addition to the upcoming horror-fiction series, he also booked an onstage gig with the Eras Tour, landed a host spot for a new game show, and scored a massive deal for the New Heights podcast he co-hosts with his older brother, Jason.

Grotesquerie is set to debut on FX on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. It will be available to stream the next day on Hulu and available internationally via Disney+ at a later date, per Variety.

Next: Will Donna Kelce Watch Travis' Acting Debut in 'Grotesquerie' With Taylor Swift?