Tom Brady slaps Logan Paul during Fanatics Fest panel clash
Variety reports Brady hit Paul after a New York panel, then called him a “dork” and “nerd” on X as the clip spread online.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Tom Brady and Logan Paul’s latest face-off at Fanatics Fest in New York ended with Brady slapping Paul in the face, according to Variety, after the two appeared together onstage Friday.
The incident happened after their panel wrapped, Variety reported. Footage posted by Fanatics showed the two in a tense exchange before the slap, with New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns and Chris Costa stepping in to separate them.
Fanatics shared the clip on social media, with Brady, Paul, WWE and the NFL listed as collaborators on Instagram, according to Variety. The video quickly took off, drawing more than 17.5 million views on Instagram and 6.9 million on X.
Paul says flag football trash talk sparked it
The audio in the clip is mostly unclear, Variety reported, so Paul gave his version on X after reposting the footage.
“This happened bc I was roasting Tom for beating him in flag football. And he tries to smack me?? Horrible example for the kids,” Paul wrote, according to Variety. He added, “Aura -100,” and, “Blocked. With a torn tricep.”
Brady did not offer a long explanation. Variety reported that he replied with one word: “Dork.”
He also responded directly to Paul, writing, “I tried America… will try again next time I see this nerd,” according to Variety.
A feud that started with an athletic boast
Variety reported that the friction between Brady and Paul began in February, when Paul said his WWE career made him as athletic as NFL players. Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, did not take that well, according to the report.
The two kept needling each other before and during the Fanatics Flag Football Classic in March, Variety reported.
A Getty Images photo from that March event showed Paul with the Wildcats FFC and Brady with the Founders FFC at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Another image from Fanatics Fest showed Chris Costa, Wesley Sneijder, Brady, Towns and Paul onstage during the “This is Why We Collect” panel.
Fans wondered if it was all for show
Some commenters questioned whether the Fanatics Fest clash was staged, Variety reported, pointing to Paul’s WWE career and Brady’s recent comments about wanting a role in wrestling.
On Thursday, Brady told WWE star Cody Rhodes on the “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” podcast that he wanted an invitation from WWE president Nick Khan, according to Variety.
“I need to get an invite. I’ve been waiting for [WWE president] Nick Khan to come up with some storyline for me to get in the mix,” Brady told Rhodes, according to Variety. “I feel like I’m retired from football, and I have an opportunity to go out there and still showcase that I’m a little bit of an athlete.”
Variety reported that it remains unclear whether Brady and Paul will eventually settle anything in a WWE ring.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.