Who Is Clark Hunt's Wife? All About Tavia Shackles Hunt

Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt has been married to his wife Tavia Shackles Hunt since 1993

Clark Hunt has helped lead the Kansas City Chiefs to four Super Bowls since he took over as owner in 2006, and, through it all, his wife, Tavia Hunt, née Shackles, has been by his side.

The chairman and CEO of the Chiefs has been married to Tavia since 1993 and the couple have three children together: daughters Gracie and Ava, and son Knobel. The family is close, with Clark and Tavia raising their children to be ardent football fans and be active in their faith.

“My wife Tavia is an amazing mother," Clark said in an interview with the Chiefs in May 2013. "She loves our children and literally would do anything for them.”

He added, “She's also a great teacher; she takes every opportunity to instruct them, whether it's something in terms of our faith, in terms of school, or how they treat those around them; she's just an amazing mom.”

Related: Who Is Gracie Hunt? All About the Daughter of Kansas City Chiefs Owner Clark Hunt

Tavia was by Clark's side when the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in the 2024 Super Bowl, marking their third win in five seasons.

So who is Clark Hunt’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Tavia Shackles Hunt and her relationship with the Chiefs owner.

She is from Kansas City, Missouri

Tavia was born and raised in the city of the Chiefs, where her family continues to reside today. Growing up, Tavia was actively involved in beauty pageants which took her around the state of Missouri, making her especially proud of her roots.

“I was Miss Missouri Teen USA and toured the entire state of Missouri. Then, I was Miss Kansas USA and visited, I think, every small town in Kansas during the course of that year,” she told local Kansas City outlet KSHB in September 2022.

She added, “I feel I have a special bond to Chiefs Kingdom. Kansas City is such a special city, and it truly has my heart.”

She is the director of the Chiefs Women’s Organization

Though she sees herself as the “boss of the boss,” as she joked to Her Life magazine in 2018, Tavia also has an important role for the NFL team: director of the Chiefs Women’s Organization. The program involves the wives and girlfriends of the players in charity and giving back to their local communities.

“I love being a leader of it and organizing events to familiarize our extended football family with Kansas City and plug them into serving in the community,” she told the outlet. “It bonds us together on the field and off the field to gather to serve the community and enjoy fellowship together.”

Past projects have included feeding the hungry at local shelters to building homes through Habitat for Humanity. Tavia added that the goal wasn’t just to provide financial support, but to connect with the community and “lift others up.”

In addition to being a director, Tavia is also heavily involved with the Chiefs’ cheerleading squad, from designing the outfits to helping judge potential candidates.

She met Clark when she was an intern for the team

Before she was married to the CEO of the team, Tavia started her journey with the Chiefs as an intern. A lifelong Chiefs fan, she interned with the PR department in 1991 while she was still in college. She told KSHB that after the first kickoff luncheon at the end of the summer, she caught Clark's eye.

“At the end of that event, this nice guy came up named Clark and started talking to me, and we had a great conversation and had so much in common, we learned,” she said. "He asked me if I’d like to have dinner sometime, and the rest is history.”

Though he was the son of the owner at the time, Lamar Hunt, Tavia swore she had “no idea” who he was. After six weeks of dating, however, she told KSHB that she knew he was the one when he gifted her a postcard that his grandmother had given him.

“He said he’d had it for years and it meant a lot to him and that he hoped that he’d found his partner to drive with him down the road of life,” she said. "It had a 1940s convertible on the front of it and a sweet sentiment. I still have it. It’s framed in my bathroom. So we knew right away.”

She and Clark got married in 1993

Tavia married Clark on Oct. 23, 1993, when she was 22 years old. She had just graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a degree in political science, per Her Life.

In 2023, the couple celebrated their 30th anniversary, and Tavia marked the special occasion on her Instagram with a sweet tribute sharing how they “love each other more today than [they] ever have.”

“Happy Anniversary my darling. You are my soul mate, my best friend and "usually" my most favorite person in the world,” she wrote. “I love you and the family we’ve made. So here's to growing old together 🥂 hopefully the best is yet to be!!❤️.”

They share three children

Tavia and Clark welcomed their first daughter, Gracie, on March 29, 1999. Their son, Knobel, followed on July 15, 2002. Exactly six years after having Gracie, the Hunts completed their family with the birth of Ava in 2005.

Gracie, like her mother, is a beauty pageant queen and even followed in similar footsteps as her after being crowned Miss Texas Teen International in 2016 and 2018. Three years later, she was crowned Miss Kansas USA.

"She tells me, 'Just be you. You are enough,' " Gracie told PEOPLE (the TV Show!) host Kay Adams in a 2021 episode on what advice her mom gives her. "It's really nice to get to walk down a road with someone who has been down that path before. It really has just bonded us so much."

Knobel is currently a student at Southern Methodist University while Ava is finishing her senior year of high school, where she is a cheerleader. Tavia told KSHB that even though they may not see each other every day, she still has a close bond with all three of her kids.

“I would say we are very, very close, and I mean we talk every day if we don’t see each other every single day,” she said. “I just think our faith, our values and our deep love for each other [tie us].”

She is proud to be part of the Chiefs fanbase

The Chiefs have seen a massive winning streak in the last decade, most recently at their second consecutive Super Bowl win in 2024. Tavia told KSHB that the best part of being part of Chiefs kingdom, however, isn’t the wins — it’s the fans.

“We undoubtedly have the best fan base in the NFL,” she said. “They show up whether it’s 100 degrees or negative 10, or whatever it is. They show up.”

To that end, Tavia is passionate about giving back to that fanbase, even going above her role on the Chiefs Women’s Organization. She and Clark participate in various philanthropic efforts outside the stadium as well.

“It’s important for Clark and me to invest and give back to that community, and we’ve chosen to do this with a focus on children and hunger,” she told Her Life. “We’re passionate about being involved and present for the fans and the organizations who support us.”

She is a fan of Taylor Swift

After Taylor Swift started dating tight end Travis Kelce, Tavia was excited to welcome her into the Chiefs family. Ahead of the 2024 Super Bowl, Gracie opened up about how her mom insisted on getting her a specific purse — even when Kelce was hesitant to.

For her birthday in December 2023, Gracie revealed that Tavia wanted Kelce to buy Swift a nearly $5,000 Minaudieres Swarovski microphone clutch.

“My mom actually sent Travis a message saying, ‘Hey, like, you need to get her this,’ and he sent her a message back and was, like, ‘I don’t even know if she likes that,' " Gracie told Page Six in February 2024.

“My mom was, like, ‘Well if you’re not [going to get it], this is our birthday present for Miss Taylor because she needs this,' ” she added. “All women love sparkly things.”

The Hunt family did ultimately end up gifting Swift the bag, which Tavia posted on Instagram.

She spoke out in defense of Chiefs player Harrison Butker's controversial commencement address

In May 2024, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker's commencement speech at Benedictine College sparked backlash online after he spoke at length about "diabolical lies told to women" about marriage and motherhood.

Days later, Tavia responded to Butker's speech in a post on Instagram, seemingly defending his stance.

“Affirming motherhood and praising your wife, as well as highlighting the sacrifice and dedication it takes to be a mother, is not bigoted," she wrote. "It is empowering to acknowledge that a woman’s hard work in raising children is not in vain. Countless highly educated women devote their lives to nurturing and guiding their children."

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