Video: Former Broncos Heir John Bowlen Yells "White Power," "Fuck Black People" in Racist Rant

The man once considered a leading candidate to inherit the Denver Broncos football team now spends his nights posting racist tirades on social media.

John Michael Bowlen — son of Pat Bowlen, the late billionaire and former owner of the Broncos — shared a video on his Instagram story in which he repeatedly yelled "white power" and made disparaging remarks about Black people. The video was posted late at night on November 28 but deleted shortly after, according to the source who sent the video to Westword.

"The white power crew just hits a little harder now, bro," Bowlen says in the video, following a photo of a sporting event crowd with the caption "white fucking power!!!!!" The photo appears to have been taken inside of Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"White fucking power," he continues in the clip. "Fuck Black people. White is right. We're back, bitches, and we're saying that shit. Fuck you. White fucking power," he yells, concluding the video while waving a black leather belt.

Bowlen shared a photo on Instagram on November 27 that appears to have been taken around the same time, in which he is wearing the same outfit from the video. That photo is captioned "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN."

Bowlen did not respond to a request for comment regarding the video.


The incident is the latest in a series of stains on the Bowlen family's legacy. The family patriarch, Pat, led the Broncos to seven Super Bowl appearances and three wins during his 35 years of ownership, culminating in his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019. Pat died the same year, at the age of 75, following a battle with Alzheimer's disease.

John Bowlen's reputation is far less impressive. One of Pat's seven children, Bowlen was on the shortlist to take over the team from his father until he was arrested on domestic violence charges in 2015.

Allegedly under the influence of alcohol and whippets, Bowlen told his then-girlfriend that he had killed someone, then shoved her against a wall when she called 911, police said at the time. When the 911 dispatcher called back, Bowlen apparently tried to use his Broncos connections to get out of the situation, falsely claiming to be the owner of the team.

"As the blood of the city, I’m telling you right now, nothing is wrong," Bowlen told the dispatcher. “I’m a man of the city, a friend of the mayor, and everybody knows exactly who I am."

Bowlen ended up with 24 months of probation and a misdemeanor harassment conviction, but he fought that punishment all the way to the Colorado Supreme Court, which rejected the case in 2017.

Bowlen made headlines again later that year when he was arrested for driving under the influence in California. He had reportedly driven over 100 miles per hour and repeatedly told officers his father owned the Broncos after being pulled over, police said at the time. He was put on probation again.

Bowlen was a marketing employee with the Broncos until his domestic violence arrest in 2015, at which point he was placed on an indefinite leave of absence.

The team was eventually sold to the Walton-Penner group in 2022, led by Walmart heir Rob Walton, following a lengthy, highly publicized legal battle involving the Bowlen children.