Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

What happened to Kelli Stavast, the NBC reporter who started the "Let's go Brandon!" meme?
Old news | 3-31-25 | Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin

Posted on 03/31/2025 12:00:00 PM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

What happened to her besides being fired by NBC, and where did she go? What is she doing now? In which city does she live? If a conservative mskes a miscomment, whether deliberate or not, the MSM resurrects it forever. Most people forget stuff and some of us never forget. So, media, where is she?


TOPICS: Humor; Miscellaneous; Reference; Society; Sports
KEYWORDS: avasttherekelli; brandon; fjb; kelli; kellistavast; letsgo; letsgobrandon; media; nbc; sports; stavast; vanity
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last
Inquiring minds want to know.
1 posted on 03/31/2025 12:00:00 PM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

To be fair, she didn’t make up Let’s Go Brandon. She parroted something her producer said into her earpiece.


2 posted on 03/31/2025 12:05:40 PM PDT by HIDEK6 (God bless Donald Trump)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
From Wikipedia at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelli_Stavast

On October 2, 2021, Stavast interviewed Brandon Brown after his victory at the Xfinity Series’ Sparks 300, while the crowd was chanting “Fuck Joe Biden” in the background.[6] During the interview, Stavast misquoted the chant as, “Let's Go Brandon”. It is unclear whether she legitimately misheard the chant or whether she intentionally misquoted it.[7] After footage of the interview went viral, the phrase “Let's Go Brandon” became a political slogan and a meme to mock president Joe Biden as a minced oath.[8][9][10] It was Stavast’s last race with NBC Sports, who did not retain her for later broadcasts and quietly removed her from the staff directory. Racer writer Kelly Crandall noted in late 2023 that Stavast “has been quiet” since the race.[11]

3 posted on 03/31/2025 12:05:43 PM PDT by wildcard_redneck ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

She made a big mistake in not copywriting the phrase “Let;s Go Brandon”. Think how much in royalties she missed for things like bumper stickers, T-shirts, flags and banners.


4 posted on 03/31/2025 12:06:22 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

Grok says: Kelli Stavast, the NBC Sports reporter inadvertently responsible for sparking the “Let’s Go Brandon” meme, has largely stayed out of the public eye since the incident on October 2, 2021. During a post-race interview at Talladega Superspeedway with NASCAR driver Brandon Brown, she misheard or rephrased a crowd chant of “F*** Joe Biden” as “Let’s Go Brandon,” which subsequently went viral and became a widely recognized anti-Biden slogan among certain groups.
Following the event, Stavast has not publicly commented on the incident or clarified whether her statement was a genuine misinterpretation or an intentional pivot. Neither she nor NBC Sports have issued an official statement addressing the moment, and requests for interviews with her have reportedly been declined by the network. Her lack of public response has left the intent behind her words open to speculation, with some viewing it as an innocent mistake and others as an attempt to deflect from the profanity on live television.
Professionally, there’s no widely reported evidence of significant consequences like termination or suspension from NBC Sports directly tied to this incident. Stavast, who had built a career covering motorsports including NASCAR, IndyCar, and motocross, appears to have continued her work with the network, though her visibility seems reduced. For instance, she was noted as a pit reporter for NBC’s IndyCar coverage in prior years, but no high-profile updates about her role or departure have surfaced since 2021. Her social media presence, such as her Instagram, remains active but private, offering little insight into her current status.
The meme’s cultural impact far outpaced Stavast’s involvement, evolving into a political phenomenon independent of her. As of March 31, 2025, she seems to have maintained a low profile, with no definitive public record of what “happened” to her beyond the initial incident—suggesting she either quietly continued her career or stepped back from the spotlight without fanfare.


5 posted on 03/31/2025 12:07:02 PM PDT by SubMareener (Save us from Quarterly Freepathons! Become a MONTHLY DONOR)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

She’s probably doing personal projects and being a stay home wife, if she isn’t appearing anywhere in the media.


6 posted on 03/31/2025 12:10:02 PM PDT by Jonty30 (I have invented blackened salmon salad by baking it in the oven for too long. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SubMareener

The network likely paid her off so she wouldn’t comment. No win situation for the network and she’s probably happy to not relive the moment


7 posted on 03/31/2025 12:12:14 PM PDT by LibertyOh
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

I actually couldn’t care less where she landed but I thank her for accidentally creating the ‘Let’s go Brandon’ meme.


8 posted on 03/31/2025 12:15:02 PM PDT by Bullish (I've never seen such morons... Have you?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Wouldn’t they pay her to keep silent and not tell the public that the producer told her via her ear piece what to say? She’d be paid well to make up for lost wages, right? It’s their fault she had to step down. If they persecuted her, wouldn’t she spill the truth to the media?


9 posted on 03/31/2025 12:22:26 PM PDT by ransomnote (IN GOD WE TRUST)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
Not guilty.


10 posted on 03/31/2025 12:27:04 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of anger, hate and violence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

We dated for a while but, she was a mess and called me quite often ar 2am, 3am...

It wasnt good

Last I heard she was in a half way house, occasionally muttering my name.

I changed my number and don’t here from her anymore


11 posted on 03/31/2025 12:29:15 PM PDT by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SubMareener

Too bad. She had such promise as a legacy media deceiver


12 posted on 03/31/2025 12:42:42 PM PDT by j.havenfarm (24 years on Free Republic, 12/10/24! More than 10,500 replies and still not shutting up!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

What was she gonna do? Repeat what the crowd was changing?

She did the best she could. And she gave us a wonderful slogan.


13 posted on 03/31/2025 12:47:21 PM PDT by SJSAMPLE
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: j.havenfarm

What was she gonna do?


14 posted on 03/31/2025 12:47:53 PM PDT by SJSAMPLE
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

Also,what happened to Brandon? The race car driver.


15 posted on 03/31/2025 12:55:22 PM PDT by AdSimp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AdSimp

Yeah, good question.


16 posted on 03/31/2025 12:57:11 PM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin (Freedom is the freedom to discipline yourself so others don't have to do it for you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: SubMareener
I think she acted deliberately to her credit..Quick thinking....I would hope any reporter would do the same to deflect profanity..

good on her.

in the meantime she gave us a wonderful mantra.

17 posted on 03/31/2025 1:01:28 PM PDT by cherry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: SJSAMPLE

Exactly..she did a great job in reality.


18 posted on 03/31/2025 1:02:23 PM PDT by cherry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: cherry

I think she should have just laughed it off, talked over it, and continued interviewing Brandon. People would have totally understood. It would have blown over and been forgotten by now. It also would have not been untruthful.

(BTW, I love my “Let’s Go, Brandon!” T-shirt. It still gets lots of compliments whenever I wear it.)


19 posted on 03/31/2025 1:13:51 PM PDT by oldplayer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

I read somewhere that she self-admitted to an institution. /s


20 posted on 03/31/2025 1:13:58 PM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson