Jason Kelce explains why wife Kylie Kelce gets 'a little bit uncomfortable' with the intense public attention focused on their family.
Jason Kelce is getting candid about the realities of fame. The former Philadelphia Eagles center addressed the intense public focus centered on his family amid brother Travis Kelce's romance with Taylor Swift, saying wife Kylie Kelce is sometimes wary of the attention aimed at their children.
Jason appeared on comedian Andrew Santino's Whiskey Ginger podcast on Friday -- after the latter previously guested on his New Heights podcast in April -- where he was asked about the spotlight focused on his wife. Santino argued that Kylie is "more famous at this point" than her NFL star husband.
"She should be," Jason replied. "No doubt."
Santino then asked whether Kylie enjoys being the center of attention, speculating that "it seems like she doesn't really want any of this nonsense, but she's cool with it."
Jason reflected on the couple's decision to welcome cameras into their home for Prime Video's Kelce documentary, which chronicled the athlete's 2022-2023 football season as he toyed with the idea of retirement. That year, he ended up facing off against his younger brother in Super Bowl LVII as the first siblings to ever compete for the Lombardi Trophy. (Travis and his Kansas City Chiefs came out victorious.)
"We did the documentary a couple years ago," he told Santino. "I think that she's a little bit uncomfortable with, I guess, how much it's become and our family's out there, like, people know what our kids look like."
He added that both he and Kylie have "tried to retract that a little bit" but acknowledged that it's "part of the territory."
Kelce dropped in September, the same month that Swift and Travis went public with their relationship. The doc quickly became Prime's most-watched documentary ever in the U.S.
"Travis and Taylor have taken it to another level and that's a whole other side of it," Jason said on Whiskey Ginger. "Kylie and I think we have it bad, and then we go hang out with one of them for a second. This is a whole other situation here. I don’t even know how to, like, you can’t be a normal person at that point."
Jason said that fame "gets to be too much at times," but also humbly acknowledged the position of privilege he and Kylie have found themselves in.
"It's hard to always be available, you know what I mean, but I think, more often than not, it's such an awesome interaction whenever you're doing that stuff and the vast majority of people are beyond just respectful and appreciative," he said. "We're in a position of great fortune to be able to be where we're at. And it's all because of these people that are really, really big fans."
For Kylie, she is especially grateful for the public interest in her charitable endeavors. The mother of three works closely with the Eagles Autism Foundation and serves as a youth field hockey coach.
"I think she enjoys the fact that she gets to go and do charitable outings, she gets to give back to the community," Jason told Santino, adding that there are also sides to fame that she's "a bit more hesitant to."
He recalled her saying, "'I didn't really sign up for this.' And I'm like, 'We're gonna be alright. We're getting through it.'"
Jason and Kylie wed in 2018 and share three daughters: 4-year-old Wyatt, 3-year-old Elliotte and 16-month-old Bennett.
Earlier this year, Jason announced his retirement from the NFL and has since signed on to serve as a sportscaster for ESPN's Monday Night Football. His first assignment will be in San Francisco this fall when the 49ers face off against the New York Jets.
Travis, meanwhile, recently inked a two-year contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs. The $34.25 million deal -- which includes $17 million fully guaranteed this year -- makes him the highest-paid tight end in the league.
The star player has been widely praised for staying unapologetically himself amid increased public scrutiny over the last year, with Jason adding his voice to the chorus.
"I haven't seen him change one bit. I think it's a compliment," Jason said on Whiskey Ginger. "He stayed true to himself. He's still humble. He treats everyone with the utmost respect, like they're equals regardless of who they are."
In a recent appearance on Good Morning America, Travis shared how he's managed to stay so grounded.
"When you have good family and friends around you, it makes that aspect of life that much easier," he said on GMA. "I have such a beautiful family… And I've always been a very grounded guy."
Travis continued, "You know, it might not come off like that when I'm playing football…but off the field, I just wanna be a genuine person. Somebody that seems very relatable…if anybody asks me for a picture and it's just not the moment to take a picture, you know, I'll have a conversation with you."
He added that he's proud of his ability to stay "present."
"I try not to get too far down the road because you just never know what opportunities are gonna present themselves," he told the outlet. "So I know I got a 2024 football season coming up that I'm pretty fired up about."
As for his personal life, a source told ET last month that Kelce and Swift's loved ones see a bright future ahead for the couple.
The source told ET, "Taylor and Travis are doing amazing, and their loved ones see an engagement coming sooner than later. They make a great match and there's no question about that."
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