Jason Kelce regrets Penn State phone incident with fan, uses slur

by Junna Base November 6, 2024

Former All-Pro center Jason Kelce took to his popular podcast Wednesday to express his regret over a weekend altercation on Penn State’s campus.

In one incident caught on video, Kelce responded to a heckler calling his brother Travis a homophobic slur by grabbing the heckler’s phone and slamming it on the floor.

On the latest episode of her “New Heights” podcast, Jason called it “a really stupid situation” that quickly spiraled out of control.

“My reaction brought attention to him and also brought publicity to the situation,” he said. “I know now that I shouldn’t have done it because now there’s a video out there of me saying that word and him saying that word and it’s not good for anyone.”

Kelce was in State College, Pennsylvania, for ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Saturday and was interacting with fans when one used a homophobic slur in reference to his brother’s relationship with Taylor Swift.

Penn State University Police and Public Safety are investigating the incident.

Kelce admitted his actions went “over the line” when he grabbed the fan’s phone and speared it to the ground. On the video, Kelce could be heard saying, “Who’s the (expletive) now?”

He said it was a mistake to repeat the insult because “it only perpetuates more hate.”

On the podcast, Brother Travis struck an understanding tone.

“You responded in a way that defended your family and you may have used some words that you regret,” he said. “And this is a situation that you just have to learn from and accept. I think acknowledging them and talking about them shows how sincere you are to many people in this world. …You don’t choose to hate, it’s just not who you are. I love you brother, I think you said that perfectly.

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