Ilona Maher Reveals Why Jason Kelce Wore a Shirt With Her Face On It
"Hey, thank you so much for spreading the good word, sir," the women's rugby player told Seth Meyers about Kelce's style choice.
Ilona Maher has been one of the breakout stars of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Not only did she take home bronze in women's rugby, thanks to her viral videos she gained a whole new legion of fans — one of them being NFL star Jason Kelce.
The Olympian appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Monday, August 12, to talk about her time in Paris — including what it's really like living in the Olympic Village, and the story behind the viral video of her eating a giant croissant. After holding her medal, Host Seth Meyers asked Maher about a photo of Kelce wearing a shirt with her face all over it, and what led to his inspired fashion choice.
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Jason Kelce is an Ilona Maher superfan
"You had a brand ambassador: Jason Kelce. Here's Jason Kelce holding the rugby ball and then wearing a shirt with your face all over it. Now, how does that happen? Can you talk us through this?" asked Meyers, sharing the photo.
"Kylie Kelce and I, we're buddies on the apps. You know, that makes us best friends, I think, but she brought him to a game, and he came to our first game," Maher answered, referring to Jason Kelce's wife, Kylie. "First off, he's also wearing a rugby jersey, which is... rugby jerseys are tight. So, he put this on the first day, and then he put it back on for day three, which is impressive."
"This is a shirt my family made. My mom gave him hers, and I guess he also wore this to gymnastics," she explained. "Like, pictures of him with the gymnasts, and my face on him. Like, 'Hey, thank you so much for spreading the good word, sir.'"
Jason Kelce being a rugby fan shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who follows Maher on Instagram. On July 28, Maher posted a video on Instagram of her asking Kelce to become a devoted supporter of the USA women's rugby team, noting how Kelce is a proud "girldad" to his three daughters.
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"Do you get anything from being our superfan? No." Maher said jokingly. "There's no reward, money, or benefits. I don't think I can get you free stuff."
The lack of free swag didn't deter Kelce, who proclaimed, "I am officially a fan of women's rugby, Olympics." Maher then excitedly announced to her team, "We got Jason Kelce!"
After Maher told Meyers why Kelce wore a shirt with her face all over it, the Late Night Host responded, "It's fantastic. I'm not surprised. You can't find a nicer human being to get the word out about good things, and it was such a joy to watch. Congratulations again."
