Jason Kelce was heckled for apparently refusing to sign fan autographs.
As Kelce, 37, left the Jimmy Kimmel Live! studio in Hollywood on Thursday, November 21, he was met with a waiting crowd of fans hoping to meet him. Instead, per a video obtained by TMZ, the retired NFL star went directly into his car, which visibly upset someone in the crowd.
“Don’t do that, we’re the king of the streets,” a heckler yelled. “People are dying out here. You’re jumping in a car like a hotshot. Kiss my f—ing a–. … You ain’t nobody special. Some s—bag guy that thinks he’s on some pedestal. Don’t be a d—!”
Kelce attempted to ignore the situation before explaining his “habits” of not signing autographs in certain situations that get out of hand.
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After the fan continued to bellow the word “f—” in Kelce’s direction, the ESPN broadcaster ultimately had a change of heart and agreed to sign the waiting fans’ merch.
“I’m not trying to be mean,” Kelce added, walking over to sign several autographs for members of the crowd. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything about it. I promise.”
At the same time, the heckler apologized for his own actions and said that he still had “love” for Kelce.
“I feel you and I appreciate you,” Kelce replied.
Kelce was involved in another heated fan encounter earlier this month, calling a college student a homophobic slur after they used the same phrase to describe Jason’s brother, Travis Kelce. Jason also swatted the individual’s phone to the ground in retaliation for getting in his face.
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Jason ultimately regretted the incident.
“I’m not happy with anything that took place. I’m not proud of it,” he said on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown on November 4. “Within a heated moment, I chose to greet hate with hate and I don’t think that’s a productive thing. I don’t think it leads to discourse.”
Jason added, “In that moment I fell down to a level that I shouldn’t have. Bottom line is, I try to live my life by the golden rules. That’s what I’ve always been taught. I try to treat people with decency and respect. I’m going to keep doing that moving forward.”
Days later on his “New Heights” podcast, Jason admitted that the heckler had gotten “under [his] skin.”
“I’m not happy about the situation. Me reacting gave him the time of day and it also gave the situation notoriety,” Jason explained. “That’s what I regret. It didn’t deserve attention, it’s really stupid. And if I just keep walking it’s a nothing burger, nobody sees it. Now it’s out there and it just perpetuates more hate.”
