Travis Kelce says brother Jason ‘defended’ their family after a phone burglary
Travis Kelce said his brother Jason Kelce defended his family when he responded to a rowdy fan on Saturday by slamming the fan’s phone to the ground. The brothers discussed the incident, which led to a Penn State police investigation and saw Jason exchange a homophobic slur with the fan, on an episode of their “New Heights Podcast” released Wednesday.
“I know it’s weighing heavily on you, brother. … Everyone is passing on the videos that are out there. That will make the situation bigger than, I think, what it really is,” Travis said in the podcast.
“But the real situation is that some clown came up to you and talked about your family, and you responded in a way that defended your family. And maybe you used some words that you regret. And that’s a situation that you just have to learn from and take ownership of.
Jason, a former Philadelphia Eagles center, was in State College to appear on “College GameDay,” which was in town for the Penn State-Ohio State game on Saturday. Outside Beaver Stadium, a fan walking behind Jason is heard on video using a homophobic slur about Taylor Swift and Travis’ relationship. The fan said, “Kelce, how does it feel that your brother is a favorite for dating Taylor Swift?”
Jason then turned around and appeared to grab the phone of the fan who uttered the slur and throw it to the ground. The fan demanded that Jason give him the phone back and Jason replied, “Who’s the dad now?”
Jason Kelce previously spoke about the incident on ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” and said he was “not proud” of it. On the podcast, he expressed even more regret, saying he’s “not happy with the situation.”
“My response gave him the time of day and it also publicized the situation,” Jason said. “That’s what I regret. It didn’t deserve any attention. It’s really stupid. And if I just keep walking, it’s a nothingburger. Nobody sees it. Now it’s there and it only perpetuates more hatred.
“The thing I regret most is saying that word, to be honest. The word used (the fan) is just ridiculous and it takes it to another level. … It’s inhumane and it got under my skin.”
Travis praised his brother for “owning” the situation, telling Jason that “talking about it shows how genuine you are to a lot of people in this world.”
‘Especially what you said on Monday night that you… don’t choose hate. That’s just not who you are,” Travis said.
A spokesperson for Penn State University Police and Public Safety confirmed Tuesday that the department is investigating the incident and that the case review process is ongoing.
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(Photo of Jason and Travis Kelce: Rob Carr/Getty Images)
