Fact Check: Travis Kelce Threatened to Leave Chiefs Unless Harrison Butker Is Fired?

Claim:

Travis Kelce promised to quit the Kansas City Chiefs football team unless they fired Harrison Butker for his divisive remarks at his 2024 Benedictine College commencement speech.

Rating:

Labeled Satire ( About this rating? )

On May 19, 2024, a Facebook page titled "The Patriots Lovers" posted a picture-in-picture image of Kansas City Chiefs teammates Harrison Butker and Travis Kelce with the headline, "Travis Kelce Vows to Quit Chiefs Immediately if Team Doesn't Fire Harrison Butker":

( Facebook/The Patriots Lovers )

The social media post had received 3,600 reactions and 3,000 comments as of this writing. Many commenters were Chiefs fans who bade Kelce goodbye, urging him to take his girlfriend, global music star Taylor Swift, with him: "GOOD! And good riddance," said one. "Take Swift with you please," wrote another.

The pinned comment under the post linked to an article on the website SpaceXmania.com that made the same claim:

Breaking: Travis Kelce Vows to Quit Chiefs Immediately if Team Doesn't Fire Harrison Butker

In a dramatic escalation within the Kansas City Chiefs organization, Travis Kelce, the team's star tight end, has issued a stark ultimatum: fire kicker Harrison Butker or he will quit the team immediately. This bold declaration comes after Butker's highly controversial comments at a public event, which have sparked intense debates both within and outside the sports community.

"His remarks, perceived by many as divisive, have not only polarized fans but also fractured the locker room camaraderie," the post says lower down.

Unfortunately for fans who supported Butker, this item was not a factual recounting of real-life events. The article originated with a website that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature, as follows:

Please note that the article under the category "SATIRE" are satirical in nature and are not meant to be taken seriously. These articles are meant to be humorous and are often entirely made up. We make no claim that the information presented in these articles is true or accurate.

We've addressed several such claims about Butker since he made controversial remarks in his commencement speech at Benedictine College in May 2024.

For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.

Sources:

Bruno, Alex. "Breaking: Travis Kelce Vows to Quit Chiefs Immediately if Team Doesn't Fire Harrison Butker." SpaceXMania. https://spacexmania.com/breaking-travis-kelce-vows-to-quit-chiefs-immediately-if-team-doesnt-fire-harrison-butker/