NEED TO KNOW
- Travis Kelce was joined by his parents, Ed and Donna Kelce, at the premiere of ESPN’s recently released docuseries, The Kingdom, on Sunday, Aug. 24
- Ed and Donna both spoke exclusively to PEOPLE at the event, and revealed their reactions to Taylor Swift’s recent appearance on Travis’ podcast, New Heights
- The Kingdom, directed by Kristen Lappas, chronicles the Chiefs’ 2024 season and deep dives into the franchise’s distinctive place in the NFL’s landscape
Travis Kelce had two of his biggest fans by his side for a very special night.
The NFL star, 35, was joined by his parents, Ed and Donna Kelce, at the premiere of the Kansas City Chiefs’ new ESPN docuseries, The Kingdom, on Sunday, Aug. 24. They were all smiles as they walked the red carpet at the celebratory event, held at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City.
Donna showed her Chiefs team spirit by wearing a dark red lace ensemble, accessorized with a pair of her signature red glasses to match. Ed sported a classic blue suit and white shirt.
The football parents spoke exclusively to PEOPLE on the red carpet and shared their respective reactions to Travis’ girlfriend Taylor Swift’s recent appearance on New Heights, the podcast Travis hosts with his brother, Jason Kelce.
Donna described the pop superstar’s appearance on the Aug. 13 podcast episode as “really, really eventful.”
“It was authentic. It was just something I think everybody was thrilled to see, and it was a very loving podcast,” she added.
Ed, meanwhile, told PEOPLE how his son Travis’ joy is all down to his relationship with Swift, 35. When asked to pinpoint the cause of the tight end’s happiness of late, Ed replied, “Taylor. There’s no question about it.”
Donna and Ed, who went their separate ways following their sons’ college graduations after roughly 25 years of marriage, have showed their support for Travis throughout his 12 seasons in the NFL, and have even opened up at length about backing his dreams to play professionally since he was a kid.
In February, the proud parents sported matching jerseys with the number “87” on them in support of Travis and the Chiefs playing in the 2025 Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles. They posed on the red carpet together ahead of the anticipated matchup.
Travis’ brother Jason, meanwhile, has spoken highly of his brother’s personal and professional endeavors both on and off the field — from his standout NFL career to his whirlwind romance with Swift — on their record-breaking podcast.
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In addition to the Kelces, several members of the Chiefs team walked the red carpet at Sunday’s The Kingdom premiere. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes posed for photos alongside his wife, Brittany Mahomes, and head coach Andy Reid made an appearance together with his wife, Tammy Reid.
The spirited soirée was thrown in celebration of ESPN’s release of The Kingdom, a six-part docuseries that chronicles the Chiefs’ pursuit of a history-making “three-peat” at the 2024 Super Bowl, while simultaneously breaking down the franchise’s distinctive place in the NFL’s landscape for more than six decades.
The Kingdom, directed by Kristen Lappas, premiered on Aug. 14. It’s produced by Words + Pictures in association with Skydance Sports, NFL Films, 2PM Productions and Foolish Club Studios.
Kansas City Chiefs CEO and Chairman Clark Hunt called the series a “tribute to everyone who has helped shape” the franchise over the past 60 years.
“We were proud to open our doors to share the full scope of what Chiefs Kingdom means, on the field and beyond,” he added.
ESPN’s Chiefs Kingdom is airing now and available for streaming on ESPN+.
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