Jason Kelce apologizes for destroying phone with Heckler

Over the weekend, Jason Kelce attended the Ohio State-Penn State game in Pennsylvania. Before the retired athlete, who was previously an Eagles center, could make it in, he got into a heated exchange with another attendee who used a homophobic slur while referencing his brother Jason Kelce’s relationship with Taylor Swift. It was filmed by the heckler and those who witnessed Kelce grabbing his cell phone and smashing it on the ground. Kelce has since expressed regret over how he handled the altercation.

“I think everyone saw everything that happened this week on social media. Listen, I’m not happy with everything that happened. I’m not proud of it,” Kelce said during ESPN’s pregame show Monday night. “In a heated moment, I decided to meet hate with hate. And I just don’t think that’s a productive thing, I really don’t think so. I don’t think it creates a discourse and that it’s the right way to do things.”

In the viral video of the exchange, which has millions of impressions on How does it feel that your brother is a shitty guy who dates Taylor Swift?”

The homophobic expressions were directed at the athlete’s brother, Travis Kelce, the current tight end of the Kansas City Chiefs. In another portion of the video, recorded by another participant, the initial heckler can be heard asking for his phone after the athlete grabs it and throws it on the ground. “Who’s the devil now?” Kelce was heard saying.

“In that moment, I fell to a level I shouldn’t have,” Kelce continued Monday. “Basically, I try to live my life by the golden rule I was always taught: treat people with decency and respect. I will continue to do this in the future, even if I came up short this week.”

The Kelce brothers are co-hosts of the New heights Podcast, but haven’t shared a newly recorded episode since the incident. After expressing regret over how the situation was handled on EPSN, Kelce noted, “I don’t think this is the platform to necessarily elaborate.”