Jason Kelce has more or less apologized for smashing the cellphone of a heckler who used a homophobic slur to insult his brother Travis for dating Taylor Swift.
“Listen, I’m not happy with anything that took place,” the former Eagles center said during a regularly scheduled appearance on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown. “I’m not proud of it, and in a heated moment I chose to greet hate with hate and I just don’t think that’s a productive thing, I really don’t.”
Although Kelce didn’t exactly use the words “sorry” or “I apologize,” it was still refreshing to see someone rich, famous, successful, and male take responsibility—even after being provoked.
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“I try to treat people with common decency and respect, and I’m going to keep doing that moving forward,” Kelce said. “Even though I fell short this week, I’m going to do that moving forward and continue to do that.”
The Penn State University Police and Public Safety department is investigating the viral incident which happened Saturday outside Beaver Stadium, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Videos circulating on social media show Kelce, who was in town for ESPN’s “College GameDay,” striding toward the stadium with a case of beer, while a crowd of people follow behind and cheer.
At one point a man in a Penn State hoodie with his phone out yells, “Hey Kelce! How does it feel that your brother’s a f----- dating Taylor Swift?” As the man keeps heckling and filming, Kelce stops, rips the phone from his hand, smashes it on the ground, and then picks it up and keeps walking.
“Give me my phone, dude,” the heckler says, and Kelce responds, “Who’s the f----- now?”
Kelce’s brother Travis, a tight end with the Kansas City Chiefs, has been dating pop megastar Swift since summer 2023. The brothers often discuss the high-profile relationship on their popular podcast New Heights, and Jason has been unequivocal in offering Travis his support.
The video of Jason smashing the heckler’s phone has been seen more than 35 million times on X, formerly Twitter. Penn State is investigating the incident as possible criminal mischief or disorderly conduct, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
During his statement on Monday, Kelce told viewers it wasn’t “the right way to go about things.”
“In that moment, I fell down to a level that I shouldn’t have,” he added.
