This past weekend Philadelphia Eagles fan Ryan Caldwell became infamous for harassing a visiting Green Bay Packers fan during a playoff game and calling her a vile word. Caldwell has since lost his job, been banned from Eagles games and been publicly ridiculed by just about everyone. But on Wednesday, Caldwell decided to finally break his silence on what happened.
In a statement shared with the New York Post, Caldwell stated that the behavior he displayed in the viral video of him “does not reflect the full context of what transpired,” and said that his actions were “not without provocation.” But he made it clear that he offers apologies to the fan he insulted, along with apologies for everyone else that his behavior harmed.
“While attending an NFL game last Sunday to support my beloved Philadelphia Eagles, an incident occurred that I deeply regret,” Caldwell said. “What began as banter with two Packers fans sitting near me escalated to something more serious, and I said things that were unacceptable. In the heat of the moment, I chose unforgiving words to address one of the fans, Ms. Ally Keller.
“I want to sincerely apologize to Ms. Keller for those words, and to my wife, family, and friends, my former employer and colleagues, Packer fans, Eagle fans, the Philadelphia Eagles, the City of Philadelphia, and all who were offended. That said, there are two sides to every story. The video clip circulating online does not reflect the full context of what transpired, and my actions were not without provocation. I will live with this experience, and I am certainly paying a personal price. For those who don’t know me, this incident does not reflect my values or the respect I have for others and is not indicative of the person I am.”
Eagles fan Ryan Caldwell breaks silence on vile video, apologizes for actions that ‘were not without provocation’ https://t.co/Y0i7QKM0ek pic.twitter.com/8apsANOcz0
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) January 15, 2025
Caldwell was subsequently fired from his job at BCT Partners, a consulting firm that “specializes in DEI (diversity/equity/inclusion) services and solutions.” BCT Partners subsequently condemned Caldwell for his behavior.
“We condemn our former employee’s conduct in the strongest possible terms,” BCT Partners said in a statement. “This individual’s conduct and language were vile, disgusting, unacceptable, and horrific and have no place in our workplace and society. Such conduct is not who we are and not what we stand for.”
