The Kelce family has had their fair share of controversies over the years, both on and off the football field.
In November 2024, found himself in hot water after video footage showed him swatting an unidentified college student’s phone out of their hand moments after the person called his brother, , a homophobic slur for dating .
In video footage obtained by TMZ at the time, Jason could be seen being pushed to the ground by the person in question before getting in their face, yelling back, “Who’s the f—– now?” three times.
The incident took place outside Penn State University’s Beaver Stadium. Kelce was on campus to appear on ESPN’s College GameDay ahead of Penn State’s game against Ohio State.
“University Police and Public Safety is the investigating agency for this incident and the process is ongoing,”a Penn State University Public Informations Officer told Us Weekly in a statement at the time.
Keep reading for the Kelce family’s most controversial moments:
Travis Tosses Ravens Kicker Justin Tucker’s Helmet
In January 2024, Travis came under fire after he tossed Baltimore Ravens kicker ‘s helmet out of his path so he and Chiefs quarterback could warm up on the field.
Though some NFL fans called the move “disrespectful” and labeled it as “poor sportsmanship,” others defended the three-time Super Bowl winner’s actions, pointing out that Tucker appeared to be on the Chiefs’ side of the field instead of his own team’s side.
“I saw Patrick there trying to warm up and get some dropbacks, so he asked me while I was on the ground if I could move my helmet,” Tucker explained to reporters in a video shared via X at the time. “So, I happily got up and I moved my helmet out of the way, at least I thought it was enough out of the way. And then, Travis comes over and he just kicks my stuff and he throws my helmet, and I thought it was all just some gamesmanship, all in good fun, but they seemed to be taking it a little bit more seriously.”
Travis also addressed the viral moment during an episode of his and Jason’s “New Heights” podcast, telling listeners that he was being painted as the “bad guy” in the fiasco.
“If you’re trying to go onto the other team’s designated area, you kind of stay out of their way,” he said. “You don’t interfere with what they have going on. … That’s the unwritten rule. If you wanna be a f—ing dick about it, you keep your helmet and your football and your f—ing kicking tee right where the quarterbacks are warming up.”
Travis Yells at Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid During Super Bowl
During the Chiefs Super Bowl matchup against the San Francisco 49ers in February 2024, Travis was seen bumping into head coach , which caused him to stumble back. The tight end also got in his coach’s face and shouted at him, all of which was caught on camera.
The pair addressed the viral confrontation while speaking to reporters after the Chiefs’ victory.
“Oh, you guys saw that?” Travis joked during a postgame interview. “I’m gonna keep it between us unless my mic’d up [content] tells the world, but I was just telling him how much I love him.”
While chatting with reporters after the game, Reid offered his own take on the moment.
“He keeps me young. He caught me off balance. Normally I’d give him a little bit [back], but I didn’t have [my] feet under me,” he said via ESPN. “The part I love is he loves to play the game and he wants to help his team win. … As much as he bumps into me, I get after him and we understand that. He just caught me off balance.”
In a separate press conference, Travis went on to call Reid “one of the best leaders” he’s worked with, saying, “He’s helped me a lot … with channeling that emotion, with channeling that passion. I owe my entire career to that guy and being able to kind of control how emotional I get and just love him.”
Travis Chugs Beer at College ‘Graduation’
Travis made headlines again in April 2024 after he chugged a beer at his and Jason’s “college graduation” ceremony, which their alma mater, The University of Cincinnati, put on for them at the end of the live taping of their “New Heights” podcast.
Since neither Jason nor Travis received their actual commencement diplomas, the school surprised them with an impromptu ceremony complete with a cap, gown and all. After Travis accepted his diploma, he chugged a beer, which some fans thought was inappropriate and disrespectful.
Jason later defended his brother for his actions.
“I know it looks like a graduation from the video, but this was actually at the end of a ‘New Heights Live’ podcast that we put on to raise money for the University’s NIL.” Jason wrote via X. “The university did this to poke fun at my brother and I for never really picking up our diplomas.”
Kylie Kelce Goes Toe-to-Toe With Jersey Shore Woman
In May 2024, Jason’s wife, , was seen via social media footage getting into a heated exchange with a woman during a Memorial Weekend trip to the Jersey Shore.
In the clip, the woman – who demanded that Kylie and Jason take a photo with her kids, which they declined – could be heard yelling, “I don’t care who you are, you will never be allowed in this town!”
Kylie replied, “I can smell the alcohol on your breath. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
After the incident, Margate City Mayor apologized to the couple on behalf of the city via Facebook, offering to buy them dinner to “redo date night.”
Jason Swats College Student’s Phone
Jason addressed his viral phone-swatting incident during ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown, where he serves as an analyst, in November 2024.
“I’m not happy with anything that took place. I’m not proud of it,” Jason said ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs’ game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “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.”
He 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.”
