Penn State Police and Public Safety are currently investigating the incident involving Jason Kelce and an unidentified fan in State College, a university spokesperson told The New York Post, adding that the “process is ongoing.” A now-viral video captured Kelce smashing the phone of a young man who had been following him and heckling him on Saturday.
The obsessed fan used a homophobic slur while taunting Kelce about his brother, Travis, and Travis’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift. Kelce, who was on campus for an appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay, was walking through a crowd when a man used a homophobic slur, calling his brother Travis a “f*****” for dating Taylor Swift.
Kelce’s Actions Being Investigated
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Kelce reacted by grabbing the fan’s phone, smashing it to the ground, and shouting back, “Who is the f****t now?”
“Everybody has seen what happened,” Kelce said in the opening minutes of the show. “I’m not happy with anything that took place, not proud of it. A heated moment to greet hate with hate and I don’t think that’s a productive thing, I really don’t. I don’t think it’s the right way to go about things.
“In that moment I fell down to a level I shouldn’t have. The bottom line is I try to live my life by the golden rule, I’ve always been taught to treat people with common decency and I’m going to try and keep doing that moving forward. Even though I fell short this week.”
According to TMZ, the investigation is “ongoing,” with news of it emerging shortly before Kelce’s appearance on Monday Night Football for the Chiefs vs. Bucs game, where his brother Travis was also playing. Jason was seen arriving at the stadium in a gray suit and red tie.
Meanwhile, The News Tribune reports that the crime log noted an officer witnessed a “visitor damaging personal property” and listed criminal mischief and disorderly conduct as possible violations.
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It’s unclear whether anyone had reported the altercation to university police.
Support for Kelce
Penn State police said on Saturday that no incident report had been filed regarding the matter, but it seems that the situation has since evolved. Kelce, who will turn 38 on Tuesday, has received widespread support following the viral footage on social media.
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The Kelce family has not yet publicly commented on the incident, but a source close to Travis and Taylor told the Daily Mail on Saturday night, “Taylor and Travis were both really shocked by this considering Jason is one of the nicest guys in the world.
“It really became clear how much he loves and respects Taylor. Travis means the world to him.
“The use of the word f****t is not okay with him nor anyone. This fan crossed the line. Jason will never stand for anyone insulting his family and he views Taylor as family now.”
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The two brothers share a very close relationship, and their bond—along with Kelce’s relationship with Swift—played a major role in securing a $100 million deal to produce their New Heights podcast.
Kelce retired from football earlier this year after spending 13 seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he won a Super Bowl title.
Travis was present at the press conference when Jason announced his retirement, and both brothers were emotional as the Eagles legend closed this chapter of his career.
