Jason Kelce isn’t getting into trouble for his Penn State phone-slamming incident, it seems.
Earlier this autumn, a weird troll charged up to Jason Kelce and spewed homophobic slurs. The deed was despicable, but the context was deeply bizarre.
Though many have defended him for seemingly damaging the harasser’s phone, it’s usually illegal to destroy someone’s property.
However, authorities say that the retired football player is off the hook.
Jason Kelce, ESPN analyst, looks on before the New York Jets play the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on September 09, 2024. (Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
No, Jason Kelce isn’t in trouble for the phone incident
According to what Penn State University Police tell TMZ, the investigation into the Jason Kelce encounter — presumably involving a student — is now closed.
“The individual in the video footage circulating on social media has not been identified,” a spokesperson for the department explained. “And no one has come forward to University Police with a related complaint about damage to personal property.”
Most people would want to come forward if someone, let alone a celebrity, grabbed their phone and hurled it onto the ground. But given the circumstances, it’s easy to see why someone might not want to confess to being the person in question.
Retired NFL player Jason Kelce during the ACC Celebrity Golf Championship presented by American Century Investments at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course on July 12, 2024. (Photo Credit: David Calvert/Getty Images for American Century Investments)
As you may recall, some rando approached Jason Kelce back in November.
“Kelce, how does it feel that your brother is a f—-t for dating Taylor Swift,” the troll spewed, using a homophobic slur in the process. (No, it does not make sense in context)
Travis’ response was to grab the unidentified individuals’ phone and spike it to the ground. Many considered that to be an appropriate and even relatable response, both to insults towards Travis’ brother and to the use of the slur.
It was not Jason Kelce’s finest moment
In the immediate aftermath, Jason repeated the slur — for which he has apologized on ESPN.
“Listen, I’m not happy with anything that took place,” he affirmed. “I’m not proud of it.”
Jason allocuted: “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.”
Former football player and ESPN broadcaster Jason Kelce looks on prior to the game between the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on November 11, 2024. (Photo Credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Some have been critical of Jason responding to the troll at all, arguing that words cannot justify damaging someone’s phone.
The counter-argument has, of course, been that the use of the homophobic slur — one of multiple slurs whose use has been on the rise in recent years, especially during the campaign of disgraced former (and future) president Donald Trump — changes the situation.
Slurs are not just words, and those who hurl them as weapons should expect reprisal. Of course, that applies to Jason as well. No one seriously believes Jason to be homophobic, and it’s good that he apologized … but he should not have used the slur in the first place.
Retired football player Jason Kelce during the second practice round at the ACC Celebrity Golf Championship presented by American Century Investments at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course on July 11, 2024. (Photo Credit: David Calvert/Getty Images for American Century Investments)
He can probably put this weird, weird incident behind him
We still have questions about why the unnamed troll used a homophobic slur, specifically, to refer to Travis Kelce. A man dating a woman is not generally considered “gay,” no matter how many of her fans may be.
It brings to mind an infamous tweet in which a Twitter rando said that A$AP Rocky was gay or effeminate in a photoshoot with Rihanna. This led other social media users to reply by asking if it’s “gay” for a man to impregnate Rihanna twice.
Simply put, some folks have lost the plot. But at least Jason Kelce is out of the woods … unless his harasser tries to take him to civil court, one supposes.
Jason Kelce Not Facing Charges for Penn State Phone Incident was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.