Jana Kramer on Being Stepmom to Allan Russell’s Son Troy

Jana Kramer doesn’t wanna be anything other than a source of support.

That’s why the One Tree Hill alum sees herself more as a “cool friend” than a stepmom to her husband Allan Russell‘s teenage son Troy from a previous relationship.

“He’s got an amazing mom, he’s got you,” Jana told Allan on the June 18 episode of iHeartRadio’s Whine Down with Jana Kramer podcast. “I just am here as a friend and support.”

She continued, “Yes, I am a stepmom but I look at it as not the mom, but as a friend because he’s got a great mom.”

According to Jana, she never wanted to push the stepmom dynamic on Troy because she “came from a divorce background” and understands how it felt when her own parents were introducing new partners to the family.

“It’s like, ‘I’m not looking for another mom,’” she recalled her younger self telling her dad, explaining that it’s always  “harder” for stepparents to come into a family with older kids.