Harrison Butker hits back at opportunists ESPYs host Serena Williams and slam critics for her actions During Thursday night’s ceremony, he spoke about his controversial commencement speech.
Williams took the stage with her sister Venus and actress Quinta Brunson, and the three spoke to the women in the audience about their sporting achievements.
Venus appealed to sports fans, saying, “I want you to enjoy watching women’s sports just like you do other sports, because women’s sports are sports.”
“Except you, Harrison Butker. I don’t need you,” Selena said, looking straight into the camera and trying to hold back a laugh.
“Totally. Absolutely,” Branson added.
Inside California’s Dolby Theatre, the joke elicited applause from the audience, and the three women stood proudly.
Butker, who was in attendance, defended himself the day after the story went viral and also praised the tennis legend despite the stunning accusations.
“I thought Mrs. Williams was a fantastic host and I commend her for using her platform to express her beliefs on a variety of topics,” the Kansas City Chiefs kicker said. He told NBC News.
“Sport is supposed to be a great unifier, but at an event celebrating diverse men and women who have achieved great things, she used it as an opportunity to stop those who disagree with her from cheering on her fellow athletes,” he added.
Butker came under fire in May for comments he made about women at Benedictine University’s graduation ceremony.
Butker is a Republican for President Joe Biden. A “Delusional” stance on abortion He then gave a wide-ranging speech in which he encouraged the female graduates to embrace becoming “housewives.”
“How many of you are sitting here right now, walking across this stage, thinking about the promotions and titles you might have in your career?” Butker said at the ceremony in May.
“While some of you will have successful careers in the world, for the vast majority of you, what you are most excited about is marriage and the children that lie ahead. My beautiful wife, Isabel, will be the first to say that her life truly began when she began her mission as a wife and mother,” he added.
The Chiefs kicker’s speech to the graduating class drew voices of support and opposition from various media and sports figures and was viewed more than 2 million times.
Bill MaherWhoopi Goldberg and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes have all publicly defended Butker.
“I like it when people say what they have to say. He went to a Catholic university and is a devout Catholic. This is what he believes and I welcome that.” Goldberg says Following his comments, on an episode of “The View.”
Former Philadelphia Eagles Center: Jason Kelsey With former ESPN host Michelle Beadle and former “Monday Night Football” sideline reporter slamming the kicker, he and his wife, Kylie, made it clear they didn’t like Butker’s comments.
“As a woman, I think everything he said is rubbish, and when you hide your hateful thoughts and feelings and bigotry behind the cloak of so-called religion, it just puts me off and I stop listening,” Beadle said on the “Over the Top” podcast in May.
“But I think the fact that there were women in that audience who were not OK with it is a problem. I mean, there were some who were obviously OK with it, but then there were women who were not OK with it and said, you know what? We’ve just worked hard for years and you come here and say it’s all cute and blah blah, but what you really want to do is get married and have kids.”
“Then I’ll feel important. Like, fuck it.”
Joining in the criticism of Mr. Bhatkar were: Kansas City’s official X accountposted a message “reminding” people of the city where Butker lives.
sale Backers‘ Chiefs uniforms proliferate And after delivering a commencement speech at a private liberal arts college, he was ranked an NFL bestseller.
