Why So Many People Can't Stand Jackson Mahomes

Since joining the Kansas City Chiefs, star quarterback Patrick Mahomes has become a fan favorite among football enthusiasts for his dynamic plays and hardworking attitude. While Mahomes has certainly captured attention for his athletic capabilities, he has also made headlines for his close family ties, including his relationship with his brother, Jackson. In a May 2020 video posted to his YouTube channel, the second-oldest Mahomes kid described their bond as super close. "He's a cool person, like we're super close. We have a great relationship, so I think that's pretty cool," Jackson said.

Despite living in the shadow of his famous older brother, Jackson managed to forge his own path as a social media influencer. "I'll never forget the first time that I was at a football game or at a store when people came up to me noticing me as Jackson from TikTok and not just Patrick Mahomes' brother," he gushed in a September 2020 video posted to his YouTube channel. However, his upward trajectory on TikTok has hit a snag after a handful of controversies. Here's how Jackson's reputation has changed from that of a lovable younger brother to that of a problematic social media personality.

One of the first strikes against Jackson Mahomes occurred in September 2021 after the Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Baltimore Ravens. In a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, a pair of fans can be heard celebrating the Ravens' win while seemingly taunting Patrick Mahomes' younger brother. "Let's go! I'm so sorry for you. I'm so sorry for you," one of the guys says. Things take a very awkward turn when Jackson grabs a water bottle and pours its contents on the videographer before walking away. 

Shortly after the video was uploaded, some football fans slammed the TikTok influencer for his actions. "Just because it's water doesn't mean it's not tasteless and makes the Cheifs look bad," one X user wrote. Another person added, "What a sore loser. Need to be able to handle pressure and remember it's just a game."

While Jackson received heaps of backlash on social media, his older brother gave further insight into why the former poured water on the Ravens fan. "Obviously, it's something we don't want to necessarily do. But there were things that were said to him ... that you don't see on the clip," Patrick explained to ESPN's Adam Teicher. "He's been good at trying not to respond to that stuff. He takes a lot, and he's usually pretty good at it, and he'll learn from it."

In December 2021, Jackson Mahomes made headlines after he slammed a Kansas City bar named SoT for giving him awful service. "Question Kansas City [friends]. Who has been to SoT?" he wrote on his Instagram Story, per SB Nation. "The service is absolutely terrible, and the bartenders are so rude. I would not recommend." 

It didn't take long for SoT to clap back at Jackson, with a very sarcastic apology. "Dear @jacksonmahomes, we are sorry that we set boundaries that you tried to ignore," they wrote in a now-deleted Facebook post. "Oftentimes, people with unearned status and a sense of entitlement think they are above the rules and will lash out at the employee enforcing them." SoT then revealed that Jackson's post stemmed from them not being able to accommodate his large party due to capacity issues. 

"We are sorry we could not seat your very large group. As you probably saw, our bar is very small," they added. "We are sorry that you have the reach that you do, or at least that you think you do, and that instead of using it for something positive, you decided to use it to try and crush a small business." The aforementioned incident wasn't the first time Jackson displayed bad behavior at a bar. In August 2021, the TikTok star received backlash after a video of him shouting at a bartender went viral. "Dude, really? Just stop. @jacksonmahomes," an X user wrote alongside the video.

In October 2021, Jackson Mahomes faced more heat when the Kansas City Chiefs played the Washington Commanders. Ahead of the game, the TikTok influencer uploaded a video of himself dancing on the field. However, many fans slammed Jackson for recording his TikTok on the number 21, which is a memorial to the late Sean Taylor. The defensive back tragically died in November 2007 after being shot by an intruder. One user on X commented, "Jackson Mahomes really danced on Sean Taylor's number..." Another fan added, "Jackson Mahomes has done a lot of idiotic things for attention, but dancing on Sean Taylor's number in a chained-off area the day it was being retired just for a corny TikTok video is infuriating."

After receiving a ton of backlash from NFL fans, Jackson took to his X account to apologize for his actions and give insight into why he was standing on Taylor's number. "I want to sincerely apologize for accidentally being on the Sean Taylor #21 at FedEx Field," he wrote. "We were directed to stand in that area, and I meant absolutely no disrespect to him or his family." Jackson's claims were reluctantly backed up by sports journalist Chad Ryan, who uploaded a photo featuring the former and a group of people standing on the sideline number. "Case closed. Bigger question probably needs to be why anyone was allowed to stand on it to begin with," he wrote.

2022 proved to be another challenging year for Jackson Mahomes' reputation after a small business claimed he was a scammer. At the end of February, the owner of Rare Munchiez, Sam Farha, took to TikTok to slam the social media influencer for not following through on a business collaboration. 

For context, the aforementioned business specializes in curating rare international snacks and shipping them off as care packages. "This man here scammed us and lied to us," Farha declared at the start of his video. "He hit us up saying we had some cool items, so we agreed to send him a care package, but we said, 'Can you tag us on your story when you receive it?'" Farha added that while Jackson agreed to promote the business in exchange for a free package, he didn't follow through with his promise. "Once he received the package, we asked him multiple times ... he ignored all of [the messages]," Farha continued, adding screenshots of their Instagram conversation as evidence. 

It didn't take long for Jackson to receive backlash from TikTok users, which prompted him to deny receiving the aforementioned goods. "Never received anything from these guys," he wrote in the video's comment section. Following his response, Sam called Jackson out again while speaking to TMZ. "He still says he never received it after the video went viral," he told the news outlet. "It took a video to go viral, bashing him, for him to actually respond."

For many fans, the final nail in the coffin of Jackson Mahomes' reputation came in March 2023. At the start of the month, the TikToker was accused of physically assaulting a server at Aspens Restaurant and Lounge and forcibly kissing its owner, Aspen Vaughn. In a statement to The Kansas City Star, police confirmed that they were aware of and investigating the incident. Mahomes' lawyer, Brandan Davies, also acknowledged the alleged altercation, claiming that his client wasn't guilty of any wrongdoing. "Our investigation has revealed substantial evidence refuting the claims of Jackson's accuser, including the statements of several witnesses," he told the news outlet.

However, in May 2023, Jackson was formally charged and arrested for three counts of aggravated sexual battery and one count of battery. After posting $100,000 bail, the social media influencer was released from jail but remained mum on the situation when asked by reporters (per CNN). Before Jackson's release, his arrest went viral on social media, with one X user saying, "Jackson Mahomes arrested? Can someone say Karma???" 

In January 2024, Jackson reported for his first day in court, which saw his three sexual battery charges dropped by prosecutors. According to CBS, the move was due to Vaughn's legal representation stating that she did not want to testify. While the sexual battery charges have been dismissed, his battery charge has stayed in place. As of this writing, a trial date has been set for March 25, 2024.