This past Saturday, Jason Kelce made headlines for a situation that reportedly occurred at Penn State University. Kelce was on the campus on Saturday, to appear on ESPN's College Gameday. Ahead of the broadcast, though, he was engaged in an altercation with a man. Said individual derided Kelce’s brother, Travis, for being in a relationship with Taylor Swift, and used a homophobic slur, leading Jason to smash his phone. Video of the situation went viral, and Jason is now addressing his regrets and attempts to move forward.
Right now, it’s unclear if the person responsible for the remark is a student, though it’s been reported that he was wearing a Penn State sweatshirt at the time. The Associated Press also reports that campus police are currently investigating the matter, with criminal mischief and disorderly conduct being named as potential offenses that could be pegged in this situation. This morning, Jason Kelce appeared alongside his brother for the latest episode of their New Heights podcast. During the episode, Jason had this to say about the incident:
I'm just gonna address it, because I feel like it needs one more time, and then hopefully, we can stop talking about this really stupid situation that occurred. I'm not happy about the situation. Me reacting gave him the time of day and it also gave the situation notoriety. That's what I regret, alright? It didn't deserve attention. It's really stupid. And if I just keep walking, it's a fucking nothingburger, nobody sees it. Now, it's out there, and it just perpetuates more hate.
Also, the retired Philadelphia Eagle acknowledged how when he responded to the heckler, he also used the slur that was said. As the Super Bowl winner continued to explain on his recently re-upped podcast, that’s what he truly wishes he could take back:
The thing that I regret the most is saying that word, to be honest with you. The word he used is just fucking ridiculous, and it takes it to another level. It's just off the wall, fucking over the line. And it’s dehumanizing and got under my skin and it elicited a reaction. In the heat of the moment, I thought in my head, 'Hey, what can I say back to him? I'm going to throw this shit right back in his face, because fuck him.' I know now, I shouldn’t have done that. … What I do regret, is now there's a video that is very hateful, that is now online that has been seen by millions of people, and I share fault in perpetuating it and having that out there.
Since Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce began “hanging out,” Jason Kelce has been impacted by their relationship in several ways. Media pundits and fans alike hounded Jason with questions regarding the relationship early one, and he avoided giving definitive answers. Following the couple’s decision to go public, Jason has been mostly supportive of them, even attending Swift's Eras Tour (where he may have fallen asleep).
When it comes to Travis Kelce’s feelings on his brother’s phone-smashing incident, he’s empathetic. Travis acknowledged – on the same New Heights episode – that Jason “might've used some words that [he’ll] regret using” but that he only confronted the man as a way of “defending [his] family.” Whether any legal action will be initiated as a result of the incident remains to be seen. Yet, at present, it seems the Kelces are indeed ready to move on from it.