Jason Kelce won’t be charged in altercation that appeared to show him smashing someone’s phone
No charges will be brought against former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jason Kelce in connection with an altercation last month in which he appeared to smash someone’s cellphone outside Penn State University’s Beaver Stadium, a school official said Wednesday.
Kelce, whose younger brother is Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, was in Happy Valley on Nov. 2 for the Penn State-Ohio State game when the altercation occurred, seemingly sparked by a fan’s use of a slur against his brother.
Social media videos that were verified by NBC News showed Kelce walking outside the stadium and holding a case of beer, flanked by fans.
A man could be heard in the background shouting at Kelce and then using a homophobic slur to describe Kelce’s brother in reference to Travis Kelce’s relationship with pop singer Taylor Swift.
In the videos, Kelce then appears to turn around, grab the man’s phone, smash it to the ground, pick it up again and walk away.
Another angle appears to show the man chasing after Kelce and asking for his phone back. In that video, Kelce appears to repeat the slur back to the man.
Penn State spokesperson Jacqueline Sheader said in an email Wednesday that the school’s police and public safety department had closed the case.
“The individual in the video footage circulating on social media has not been identified, and no one has come forward to University Police with a related complaint about damage to personal property,” Sheader said.
Kelce apologized last month on ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown.”
“Listen, I’m not happy with anything that took place. I’m not proud of it,” he said. “And in a heated moment, I chose to greet hate with hate. And I just don’t think that that’s a productive thing. I really don’t.”
Kelce has appeared as a commentator for ESPN since he retired at the end of last season. He was at the game with the network’s “College GameDay.”
ESPN said Wednesday that it could not comment on the incident.
