COUPLESKelly Stafford Says She Lost Herself in the Beginning of Her Relationship With Matthew Stafford: I Was 'Unhappy'
Kelly Stafford opened up about the emotional struggles she faced early in her relationship with Matthew Stafford.
July 6 2026, Updated 4:10 p.m. ET
Kelly Stafford is opening up about the emotional struggles she faced during the early years of her relationship with husband Matthew Stafford.
“Looking back at Detroit, I would say I was happy because I loved him, but I was also unhappy because I didn’t really know where I fit in or who I was,” Kelly shared during the July 1 episode of "The Cutting Edge" podcast.
Kelly said she loved Matthew, but struggled to figure out where she fit as his NFL career took off.
Kelly Stafford Said She Lost Herself While Supporting Matthew Stafford
Kelly Stafford said moving to Los Angeles helped her rediscover her own identity.
As Matthew became one of the NFL's top quarterbacks, Kelly realized she had put her own dreams on hold.
“The move to L.A. really helped me realize I can be what I want to be, too. But I do think you lose yourself in what everyone else expects you to be,” she said.
Kelly revealed that it became difficult to separate her own identity from his public image.
Kelly Stafford reflected on shifting her focus from Matthew Stafford’s success to her own ambitions.
She admitted, "You end up being this partner and your image is known as, you know, I was Matthew Stafford’s girlfriend and then I was Matthew Stafford’s fiancée, Matthew Stafford’s wife. You tend to lose who you are, or I did."
The QB’s wife also said she began focusing on her own dreams rather than living through her husband's success.
"I would remind myself to just stay true to the values I have. Reminder that I can chase after my own goals too, it doesn’t just have to be about his," she added.
The couple met while attending the University of Georgia before Matthew was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2009. They got married in 2015.
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Kelly Stafford Said Moving to Los Angeles Helped Her Rediscover Herself
Kelly Stafford launched 'The Morning After' podcast while raising her and Matthew Stafford’s four daughters.
Kelly said moving to L.A. inspired her to build something of her own. She later launched "The Morning After" podcast while raising the couple's four daughters, twins Sawyer and Chandler, Hunter, and Tyler.
"I didn’t really come to it until I moved to L.A.," she revealed. "So, 12 [years] into it."
Kelly has also used her podcast to revisit past controversies. Earlier this year, she reflected on her comments about Taylor Swift's impact on the NFL.
Kelly Stafford’s wedding appearance suggested there is no lingering tension with Taylor Swift.
"Maybe I let jealousy get the best of me," she said on "The Morning After," explaining she felt longtime NFL players and league employees had become "the sideshow" amid Taylor's massive spotlight.
Despite that moment, there appears to be no bad blood. Just days after Kelly's latest interview, she and Matthew attended Taylor and Travis Kelce's wedding at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Kelly later shared photos from the celebration on Instagram, calling it "a night that reminded us all just how lucky we are to have found our person."
