I think one of the best things to come out of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship has been the introduction to Travis’ sister-in-law, Kylie Kelce. Longtime Philly fans, forgive me! I know she has been your queen for years. I mean the more “mainstream” introduction of Kylie. She definitely seems like my people and I enjoy hearing her opinions on things. I also love that her podcast, Not Gonna Lie is a reasonable 45 minutes that’s “intended for women.”
Kylie was a guest on this week’s Call Her Daddy Podcast. It was filmed in New Orleans on the day before the Super Bowl, so naturally football comes up. Kylie talks about the 2018 Super Bowl, Philly fans, and sports superstitions (she once coincidentally bent down next to a laundry basket at the same time that the Phillies made a good play and then spent the entire rest of the game bent down next to it, LOL). While they’re talking football, host Alex Cooper asks Kylie how she feels about the term “WAG” (Wives And Girlfriends of athletes). Unsurprisingly, Kylie hates the term and thinks women should be known for their own accomplishments.
Kylie Kelce is more than just Jason Kelce’s wife. The Not Gonna Lie podcast host shared her honest thoughts on being labeled a “WAG”—which stands for “wives and girlfriends” and is often used as a catch-all term to describe the partners of professional male athletes—and it’s safe to say it’s not a phrase she would use to describe herself.
“I don’t like it, because I think it has a serious negative connotation attached,” Kylie told Alex Cooper on the Feb. 12 episode of Call Her Daddy. “I think it’s this suggestion that your spouse’s profession swallows you up, as well.”
The mom to Wyatt, 5, Elliotte, 3, and Bennett, 20 months—who is also pregnant with her and Jason’s fourth baby girl—went on to outline some of the boundaries that she and the former Philadelphia Eagles player have set up to avoid having his career in the NFL define their whole family.
Kylie explained, “I have made a serious effort to make sure that—both Jason and I have made a serious effort—that while he was playing that it was clear that that was his job.”
“In the same way that someone would go to work and come home and not necessarily talk about their entire day,” she continued. “You’re filing taxes, you’re doing spreadsheets…you’re not coming home and telling your spouse about the spreadsheet you worked out.”
In addition to not letting her husband’s profession overtake their home life, the former collegiate field hockey player also wanted to dispel the connotations that come with the
WAG term.“It’s so funny to me, because it is that stigma,” she said. “You’re with them because they make a lot of money or you want designer bags or you live in a mansion.
“It’s like, no…” Kylie went on. “There have been a number of people who have come to our house and it’s like, ‘Oh…’ Again, not easily offended, I’m like, ‘Yep, that’s what you get!'”
I totally agree with Kylie about calling athletes’ partners WAGs. She wants to make sure she’s known as more than just “Jason’s wife” because she’s trying to raise strong, independent daughters that grow up knowing their own worth. Love that. I remember first learning the term yearss ago when the UK’s football WAGs were making headlines for all of their gossip. I can see how the moniker has a negative connotation, like they belong on a Bravo show or something. That said, if someone wants to go by the WAG label, then let them have it. Label yourself however you want to and we’ll respect that.
Alex also asked Kylie about the first time she met Taylor, and it was when Tayvis did their hard launch at that Kansas City Chiefs/Buffalo Bills game. She knew they were dating before then, though. There’s no drama behind why they didn’t meet earlier, either. Taylor’s just a very busy woman! She was recording The Tortured Poet’s Department during those early days of dating Travis. The rest of the interview is a really fun listen. Kylie praises her mother-in-law, Donna Kelce, for setting such an amazing example for her daughters of what a strong, independent woman looks like. She also talks about the thing that pisses her off the most (lying), the early days of her relationship with Jason and a hilarious story about how her field hockey teammates found out about them, raising girls vs. raising boys, and how she used to be embarrassed by her height, but doesn’t “give a f-ck” about it anymore. You can listen to the full podcast here. I’ll also include the video version below.
Photos are screenshots from YouTube/Call Her Daddy, credit Getty and via Instagram/Kylie Kelce
I like her. I know MAGA wants her so much but she hasn’t been tempted yet. Good for her.
I love her. This sounds like the juiciest interview she’s ever done, so I’ll be watching. I do remember the first time she went in new heights she talked about WAG as a title and pointed out that the women she knew through the team were very accomplished on their own and their SO playing football was the least interesting thing about them.
She’s also said she leans very left, and I’m assuming she’s the one supplying Jason with union hats he used to wear on the podcast. Her dad was an electrician, I think? Any way about it, she is amazing.
She’s so adorable and a breath of fresh air. And omg, she’s beyond adorable pregnant.
So glad she gave Jason a 2nd chance when he fell asleep at the bar on their Tinder date lol.
They are a match made in Football Heaven.
I really like this woman, admire her. So glad she is out there and d St peaking up.
Thank you, Kylie.
The Kelce’s are just a gift for us All – yes?
100% yes and as a non-sports person. I never would have seen any of their football or non-football content. If it was not for Taylor and Travis relationship.
Haters gonna hate Taylor all they want. But she in a roundabout way brought the Kelce family to the mainstream. Obviouly they were already successful, but they went to the moon with Taylor.
Kyle is the gift we all needed.
I see her point but plenty of sports partners play heavily into the WAG trope, Britney .. cough.. Mahomes … cough cough.
In 2025 we’re still making an active effort to raise strong, independent daughters. 50 years after R v W and women’s financial independence. When do we stop regressing?
To be fair, Kylie isn’t sitting at home waiting for her allowance from Jason. Yes, she is a mom of 3.5. But she is also, a podcaster, runs a charity, and coaches girls field hockey. She is a very well rounded, educated, successful woman in her own right. Just because you aren’t aware of her work. Doesn’t mean she doesn’t work her ass off.
Let’s not discount her because she doesn’t have some brand deal. If she wanted one she would have one.
She’s not discounting Kylie at all. She’s saying some sports wives/girlfriends lean into the WAG trope, like Mahomes. And I think she’s right. so while many football wives are successful in various areas and many have their own career or line of work – there are still some who are very much WAGs.
I see your point @Becks1 but since WAG is really a UK term. It’s really not any different than SAHM or SAHW. I mean it’s what people do that works for them. I do find the term trad-wife demeaning. And just another dog whistle for the MAGAs.
I guess I got triggered at seeing Britney Mahomes and Kyle in the same space. They are worlds apart.
I loathe B. Mahomes.
@Flamingo – I was more uplifting Kylie’s comment. She was pretty clear about objecting to the term herself. I like her point that wives of accountants don’t get labeled with that as their whole identity. But actually 50-60 years ago they did and progress in this regard seems to be moving slowly.
I am old enough to remember when the rags used W*ores and Golddiggers not wives and girlfriends for that.
“You’re with them because they make a lot of money or you want designer bags or you live in a mansion.”
I am not even trying to be mean. Didn’t Jason get so drunk on their very first date that his friend had to take him home? I have trouble to believe that if he was a regular guy, he would get a second date after that. I am sure, Kylie isn’t some gold digger, but his job means financial security and exposure. She is getting all these media jobs because she is married to Jason, a famous athlete. Honestly, the things she is telling about how she has to organize everything about kids don’t give me the best impression about her husband either.
All of this. Gary Owens has a skit where he talks about Kevin Hart and his wife and all the chances and passes she’s given him because he’s worth $400 million. Financially successful men are allowed more eff ups because of that pot of gold at the end of a (potentially) shite partner.
@Sevenblue if you listened to New Heights podcast. Kylie has been pretty upfront. Jason can’t be left alone with the kids for long. And she has a care plan for them when she is not in the home. If anything, I think it makes her a good mom to make sure the kid are cared for the way they need to be. Yes they have money more than the average family to be able to afford in home help. But she seems a very hands on mom and thrives in it.
I wouldn’t say she is using her fame for opportunities. But Kylie seems to roll with it rather than try to take advantage of it. She isn’t shillng diet tea and waist trainers like the Kardashians. She is still a very philanthropic person in her own right. And if it was gone tomorrow she would still do her own thing. Fame is a part of their life. It’s not the center of it.
@Flamingo, I am not saying anything bad about her motherhood. She sounds like a great mom listening to everything she and her husband said. I am talking about her husband’s fatherhood and her having such a low bar for his participation in the family he created with her. She is organizing everything about their kids, because she doesn’t trust her husband and she wouldn’t put such a low expectation on his fatherhood if he wasn’t a famous athlete. A lot of men work long hours for their families, they also take care of their kids when it is the mom’s turn to get out of the house.
Jason has serious long term injuries from 13 years playing on the Offensive Line. He cannot play on the floor with his kids, he can’t even walk a baby around the house to soothe them because of his back. He also has different ideas for the girls that Kylie absolutely ROASTS him for frequently, turns out raising 2 sporty boys 30 years ago is light years away from raising 4 girls in 2025 and she ridicules his ideas. Kylie rules the roost and makes the rules. Jason would’ve been happy with 2 but Kylie wanted a much bigger brood so …they’re having however many Kylie wants.
But wait. Jason is somewhat of a homebody, he stays hunkered down in the house because he loves it, and he’s present. At various times on the pod you might hear tiny feet thundering above his head, screaming from above (“Bennett discovered her voice”) you hear one of them yelling “sowwy” down to him, a daughter showing him a new coat offscreen (“a new coat? how pretty”), Jason yelling at the dog “hey! Get out of the toilet!” And he won’t accept any job that takes him away from that. The New Heights segment Out of The House was started bc Jason is such a homebody (his brother is not).
My point is that Jason’s really an involved girl dad even if he has long term disabilities or a job that requires some traveling.
@Truthiness, wow, come on now. Kylie herself said she arranges nannies to take care of the kids when she is gonna work outside of the house, even if she knows her husband is at home. He doesn’t have to sit down and play with the children, he can share the mental workload to arrange who is gonna take care of kids when his wife has work commitments. It is 2025, we talked about this issue on mother-father spaces for years now. When women take 100% of the mental workload regarding kids, home, it is most of the time because of their husband’s absence. No one is gonna say no to their husband’s willingness to contribute to the household or kids’ care, they both share.
Seven, I absolutely agree with you about mother-father spaces, and sharing the workload. In general. But I think each couple has to work out what they’re happy with. Does that mean every millionaire father have to be home babysitting the kids when his wife needs to go somewhere?
Kylie has always dreamed of a large brood with a TON of animals. Jason would be happy with 2 kids and a couple dogs. She wants a menagerie and he doesn’t. They totally have different concepts of parenting and Kylie enforces her rules, hard style. She also told Jason he had to work out at least 3x a week or she wouldn’t deal with him, he accepts her point and does it. (Jason brought it up to Honey Beau Beau and Chris Long to discuss). My point is that Kylie is a strong a** woman who actually rules the f-king roost, she’s not a beleaguered trad wife like whoever married that goddawful Chiefs kicker.
Totally agree with you on the big picture.
“Does that mean every millionaire father have to be home babysitting the kids when his wife needs to go somewhere?”
No, he doesn’t need to do anything himself. He has the means to arrange it. That is mental workload. He might be a millionaire, but he is still a father and husband. If a man wants to live a single life with no worries and responsibilities, he shouldn’t marry and procreate. It is weird people expect nothing from a rich father / husband. Nobody says, he has to put on an apron and work at home if mom leaves for a couple hours. Just be a part of the family.
I like Kylie but she didn’t exactly land her podcast because of her successful hockey career.
Absolutely true. But Kylie’s college major was in Communications and she’s already worked on a radio show and a pod before Jason ever ventured into it. I think she saw a chance to work and evolve in her major and if she waited too long she’d miss her best chance.
She recently had gold medal winning track star Gabby Thomas on her show and that’s the content I think we really need to have MORE of. (Gabby is also a Harvard grad in Neurobiology.) Women’s sports can be every bit as exciting as men’s. Female athletes should be celebrated, interviewed and paid far more so there’s a lot of room for this to grow.
lol. Almost every college-aged girl (which she was) has done something much dumber in pursuit of love than accepting an apology and agreeing to a second date with a cute dude who showed up tanked on a first date. And a lot of the time that’s with broke-ass losers or fellow college kids.
I like Kylie a lot. I always have had a lot of love for her and Jason, being a diehard Eagles fan, but I’ve listened to a few of her podcasts and seen her in the media more, and I just like her. She seems very authentic and real.
I agree–Kylie Kelce is the best thing to come of all this Taylor/Travis/Jason stuff over the last few years. I listen to both the podcasts, I really like Jason, he’s just so fun. Travis is OK, I don’t really know too much about him actually since he has to be more private about his personal life these days. I’m also neutral on Taylor, I’m not into her music but its because I was too old when she started getting big, I missed the boat
I really like her, she seems to have her head on straight and is so grounded. I can’t imagine having all the attention that came with a family member dating Taylor coming at you and she has handled it with so much poise and grace. Plus she just seems to know who she is and what she values and I like that. She’s not changing.