Donna Kelce believes critics don't understand the "pressure" Travis Kelce faces.
Donna Kelce has leapt to the defence of Travis Kelce
The 34-year-old sports star has become one of the most talked-about athletes in the world since he started dating Taylor Swift in 2023, and Donna - Travis' mom - has observed that the pressure is "very difficult" to cope with.
She told PEOPLE: "It’s tough, it really is.
"You know, I don’t think they realise 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.
"You don’t realise how many times people are trying to keep you from catching the ball, or trying to trip you up or hit you … so it's kinda hard when you’ve got people that are in your face 24/7."
Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes - Travis' teammate - previously claimed that Taylor, 34, has helped to make the Kansas City Chiefs a "worldwide team".
He told Time magazine: "[The Chiefs] went from a nationwide team that was kind of global to a full global worldwide team. That came from Taylor’s fanbase."
Patrick also admitted to being impressed by Taylor's work ethic.
The 29-year-old sports star - who is widely regarded as one of the best players in the NFL - said: "I’ve met a lot of famous people now in my life. Taylor’s probably the most down-to-earth person that’s been on that stage for that long.
"She’s never not working. Even when she’s taking her downtime, she’s working on something. Shooting a music video or singing a song or writing a song. You can see it by how she talks."