In a culture-defining moment that proved her status as an independent force, Kylie Kelce delivered a solo episode of her Not Going to Lie podcast that was less a Thanksgiving special and more a declaration of war—on hard pants, Christmas creep, and the demeaning term “WAG.” With a characteristic blend of unfiltered honesty, hilarious domestic confessions, and deep-seated emotional clarity, Kylie’s special has become a viral roadmap to surviving the chaos of the holidays while simultaneously shattering outdated societal labels.
The episode, which comes just as the Chiefs prepare for their blockbuster Thanksgiving Day game against the Dallas Cowboys, pulled back the curtain on the complex life of an NFL spouse who is forging her own powerful career and identity. Her perspective is raw, relatable, and instantly shareable, cementing her position as one of the most compelling voices outside the gridiron.
“Oh, How About Their Names?”: The WAG Ultimatum
The most potent segment of the show was Kylie’s unflinching, articulate rejection of the term WAG, an acronym for “Wives and Girlfriends” of professional athletes. When asked during a live chat what NFL spouses should be called, her response was swift and definitive: “Oh, how about their names?”
This sentiment is far from new for Kylie, but its reiteration on a major platform during a holiday centered on family was a profound statement. She explained that she fundamentally dislikes the term because it carries a “serious negative connotation,” suggesting that a woman’s entire identity is “swallowed up” by her spouse’s profession.
“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,” she stated, outlining a conscious choice to carve out her own space. This commitment to self-definition is clearly working: Kylie’s podcast, Not Going to Lie, was recently ranked the number two top new show of 2025 on Apple Podcast charts, placing her right behind comedy icon Amy Poehler. This success offers irrefutable proof that her voice stands powerfully on its own merit.
This fight for identity comes with real-world pressures. Kylie also had to address a recent online scare where a screenshot from a private WhatsApp group chat related to the Chiefs-Colts game led fans to believe her phone number had been leaked. She quickly clarified, reassuring her community that “It’s not my number,” but the incident highlighted the constant battle for privacy and security that comes with her level of visibility, reinforcing her need for boundaries.
The Kelce Thanksgiving Commandment: No Hard Pants
At the heart of Kylie’s holiday special was a rant about one of the most fundamental traditions—or lack thereof—in her house: a mandatory ban on uncomfortable clothing. This was not a suggestion; it was a commandment.
Kylie’s rule is absolute: “No hard pants can get fucked.”
She defined a “hard pant” simply as any pair of pants with belt loops, joking that she “just covered all hard pants.” The message is clear: the only acceptable effort for a holiday at home, especially when hosting, is “mascara” and a change out of pajamas. She proudly defends the choice to wear sweatpants, arguing there is no reason to sit on the couch in jeans only to have to unbutton them later. The goal of Thanksgiving, in her view, is to “sit on the couch and be cozy.”
Beyond the fashion decree, Kylie’s holiday philosophy is driven by an unyielding love for Thanksgiving as her “favorite holiday.” This preference is rooted in its focus on gratitude and, more importantly, its lack of gifts, centering instead on “good ass food and some green bean casserole.” Her passion for Thanksgiving is so strong that she passionately rallied against “Christmas creep,” the disrespect of skipping the fall holiday to jump straight into December. In the Kelce household, no one is watching Christmas movies or putting up trees before Thanksgiving—the one notable exception being The Grinch, which has “broken the barrier” due to one of her daughters’ strong demands.
The Turducken, Turkey Fails, and Family Pride
The celebrity spotlight, however, did lead to some highly relatable domestic confessions. Kylie hilariously detailed the struggle of trying to enjoy a holiday meal with small children. Her solution for achieving personal peace is radical, yet genius: she puts the kids table in the living room, within sight of the dining room, and turns on the television. This strategic move, she admits, is a selfish tactic so that she can “maybe enjoy four bites” before getting asked for something. She justifies the move by emphasizing that while her children will eventually sit at the table and engage in full conversation, it’s “okay that it’s not right now.”
On the menu, the Thanksgiving turkey has been a source of both pride and peril. Kylie revealed that while her mother and she typically handle the standard oven-roasted turkey, her husband, Jason, has taken charge of frying the turkey the last two years. Unfortunately, the results were less than stellar. While conceding he “looked cute doing it,” she admitted that the outcome was questionable, saying that if you asked him if the whole thing was safe to eat, “the answer might have been no.” This forced them to rely on the oven-baked backup, a classic case of celebrity life mixing with domestic reality.
Family pride remained a major theme, particularly regarding her brother-in-law, Travis. Kylie not only congratulated him on his Chiefs franchise touchdown record—a feat she emphasized will be “very difficult to get dethroned from”—but also confirmed the bittersweet reality that he will be absent from the family meal due to the Thanksgiving game. This reality led to her own fiery football slogan: “Go Chiefs, fuck the Cowboys.”
And while she joked about her own limited baking skills (confessing she can only manage funfetti cupcakes and banana bread), she didn’t hesitate to praise the culinary talents of others in her extended circle, confirming that Donna Kelce makes great dinner rolls and, most notably, that Taylor Swift “makes a banging sourdough loaf.”
Cozy Winters and the Power of the Real Ones
Rounding out her solo special, Kylie transitioned from holiday rants to life advice, including a humorous take on “cuffing season.” She confirmed she “nailed” it by marrying Jason, who she affectionately called a “human furnace,” ensuring she’s always cozy and warm in the cooler months.
More seriously, she offered an empowering message to single listeners: “Don’t settle.” She encouraged them to buy themselves a heated blanket, a pair of cozy slippers, and to watch all the holiday chick flicks, reminding them, “no one’s going to buy a better gift for you than you.”
Kylie Kelce’s Thanksgiving special was a profound piece of personal content that resonated deeply because it transcended the typical celebrity narrative. She spoke about parenting honestly, stood up against a sexist label, championed her own career success, and gave the world an intimate, funny look into her famously competitive family. By asserting her name, her opinions, and her right to wear sweatpants at a feast, Kylie proved that the greatest role she plays is simply being herself: a powerful voice for the “real ones” navigating the messy, chaotic, and joyful reality of modern life.
