Harrison Butker has fired back at Serena Williams after she brutally called him out at the ESPYs on Thursday.
The Kansas City Chiefs kicker has faced a severe backlash for his controversial comments at a school commencement ceremony earlier in May. Butker, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs, is a devout catholic and spoke to graduates at Benedictine College to take aim at “dangerous gender ideologies” that are “being pushed onto the youth of America”.
The 28-year-old also made a thinly veiled dig at Pride Month during his speech in Kansas before slamming President Joe Biden and his pro-choice view on abortion.
READ MORE: Travis Kelce shouts out Taylor Swift after winning karaoke contest in hilarious style
READ MORE: Scottie Scheffler mocked for arrest in brutal national TV moment for PGA Tour star
A broadcast of Butker’s address was swiftly circulated across social media and he was widely condemned for his views, including his assertion that young women should focus on life as a wife, parent and homemaker rather than pursuing careers.
Two months down the line, Williams – who was hosting the ESPYs at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles – used her platform to take a swipe at Butker.
“You can enjoy women's sports, just like any other sport, because they are sports,” 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion Williams said, before her sister Venus echoed the message that women’s sports should be embraced.
Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sport and entertainment stories.
“Except you, Harrison Butker. We don't need you,” Serena added, before comedian Quinta Brunson chimed in: “At all, like ever.”
Butker issued a statement to NBC Sports in response to being called out at the ESPYs, saying her message was divisive. He said: “I thought Mrs. Williams was a great host and applaud her for using her platform to express her beliefs on a variety of topics. Sports are supposed to be the great unifier.
“And at an event dedicated to celebrating a diverse group of men and women who have accomplished great feats, she used it as an opportunity to disinvite those with whom she disagrees with from supporting fellow athletes.”
Butker said in the aftermath of his speech going viral that he received “a shocking level of hate”, but he says he has no regrets about speaking his mind.
Both the NFL and Butker’s teammates have distanced themselves from his views. The league said Butker’s “views are not those of the NFL as an organization.”
Chiefs teammate Travis Kelce said on his “New Heights” podcast that he remains supportive of Butker as a teammate but added: “When it comes down to his views and what he said at (the) commencement speech, those are his.
“I can't say I agree with the majority of it or just about any of it outside of just him loving his family and his kids. And I don't think that I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views, of how to go about life, that's just not who I am.”
Most Popular
Comments / 0