Packers fan harassed by man at Eagles playoff game accused of wanting to go viral: ‘He knew this would happen’
A Green Bay Packers fan who shared a video of his fiancée being berated by a Philadelphia Eagles fan during the NFC wild-card game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sunday has found himself embroiled in controversy over accusations that he sought out the interaction in order to record content for social media.
Alexander Basara and his fiancée, Ally Keller, attended the game in Philadelphia, but their experience supporting their team turned sour when an Eagles fan, identified as Ryan Caldwell, launched a vile tirade at Keller and Basara. Caldwell was heard calling Keller an “ugly dumb c—” while Basara recorded the interaction. He also taunted Basara with other disgusting gestures as Basara attempted to defend Keller.
The incident led to Caldwell being fired from his job at a New Jersey consulting firm and reportedly banned from attending games at Lincoln Financial Field. Social media praised Caldwell’s former employer and sympathized with Basara and Keller. However, as the story unfolded, several people on social media began to accuse Basara of seeking out the interaction in order to record content.
In a GoFundMe campaign set up by Basara, he asked supporters to help send him to the game. “If you didn’t know, I’m born and raised in PA, and actually 1 hour from the Eagles stadium. So I ask of you, the fans… send me to Philly. Send me into the belly of the beast. I’ve done it multiple times repping the Packers proud, and I am fully ready to do it again,” he wrote.
“I’ve been cursed at, stuff thrown at me, and even my first ever cheesehead ripped off my head and thrown into a fire bin while supporting my team in Philly. But I’m sure as hell not scared to do it again.”
According to Basara’s account, he describes himself as a “daily Packers content creator” and runs a YouTube account. In response to the video and GoFundMe campaign, social media users called Basara out for allegedly seeking out the interaction.
“Influencers do things on purpose to go viral,” former “America’s Next Top Model” winner Adrianne Curry said in a post. “He knew this would happen so allowed his girl to be a piñata for aggressive drunk men at a sporting event to film….all to go viral for clicks and likes.”
Basara responded to Curry’s post denying the allegation, saying he was vlogging a normal game-day experience. The two exchanged in a back-and-forth, and Basara accused Curry of “victim blaming.”
However, Curry was not alone in her criticism. Some social media users accused Basara of intentionally seeking out the confrontation for content.
Basara denied the accusation on social media. He did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage for updates on this story.
