The Sad Reality Of Donna & Ed Kelce's Marriage Before They Finally Got A Divorce

Donna Kelce and Ed Kelce's calculated move in their marriage could be their greatest sacrifice. The two, who were married for a quarter century, put their divorce on hold just so Jason and Travis Kelce could live a normal life. In an interview with The Martha Stewart Podcast, Donna explained that she and Ed had a plan in place when they would ultimately end their marriage legally. They knew raising their sons solo was a daunting task, so they decided to stick it out until Jason and Travis were old enough to be independent and understand the situation. 

Donna and Ed thought it'd be ideal to stay together until after the Kelce brothers were out of college. Their teamwork made it possible to raise Travis and Jason, who went on to become NFL champs. "So we decided that we would be married throughout the entire time that the kids were in the house, and that's the way it worked out," Donna added.

Donna also opened up about what it was like for her before officially ending her marriage with Ed. In an interview with Glamour published on October 3, 2024, the famed NFL mom revealed she "did stand still for several years" until she could finally move on solo. Although their situation is unusual, Donna believes she and Ed are lucky to have such a friendly relationship, as it has allowed them to give the Kelce brothers as normal a life as possible.

Donna and Ed Kelce's unconventional setup was not an easy road, posing difficulties not only for them, but for Jason and Travis Kelce as well. The siblings knew something was amiss in their parents' relationship despite them staying married. In the 2023 documentary "Kelce," Travis said he knew his mom and dad's situation was different from other parents. He would go to sleepovers and see other parents stay in the same room — something Donna and Ed have stopped doing. Eventually, Travis realized his parents were  going to split, but ultimately stayed together for him and Jason.

Ed reiterated that separating from Donna early on would only make things worse for the family, especially Jason and Travis. "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," he explained.

Donna and Ed tied the knot in the late 70s and stayed married for 25 years. It's unclear when exactly their divorce was officially finalized.