Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, a devout Catholic who drew national headlines earlier this year for comments he made during a Catholic college’s graduation ceremony, responded after tennis legend Serena Williams criticized him during the ESPY Awards last week.
During last Thursday’s ESPY ceremony, an ESPN-produced event that honors and recognizes influential figures in American sports, the 42-year-old tennis star who also served as the event’s host took a swipe at Butker, 29. Williams delivered a message to Butker as she appeared onstage with her sister Venus, another famous tennis player, and actress Quinta Brunson.
Venus Williams urged the audience to “go ahead and enjoy women’s sports like you would any other sports, because they are sports.” Serena Williams said, “Except you, Harrison Butker, we don’t need you.” Brunson agreed, chiming in, “At all, like ever.”
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The condemnation comes two months after Butker’s controversial commencement address delivered at Benedictine College, a Catholic school in Atchison, Kansas. During his remarks, Butker told female graduates they have been lied to by society and that while many of them look forward to having careers one day, they most likely look forward to being mothers the most. The comment drew the ire of many, who believed he was suggesting that a woman’s role is to raise children and be a homemaker.
Butker reacted to Williams in a statement shared with NBC News.
While he described Williams as “a great host” who used “her platform to express her beliefs on a variety of topics,” he expressed disappointment that she elected to go after him.
“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,” he lamented.
During his May 11 commencement address, Butker directed a message at the female graduates in the audience, informing them that they have had “the most diabolical lies” told to them.
“Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world,” he said. “I can tell you that my beautiful wife Isabelle would be the first to say that her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother.”
Butker’s remarks drew intense backlash, with more than 200,000 people signing a petition calling on the Chiefs to release him from their roster over what it characterized as his use of “harmful stereotypes that threaten social progress.” The petition condemned his comments as “sexist, homophobic, anti-trans, anti-abortion and racist.”
In addition to extolling the virtues of motherhood in his speech, Butker declared that “Things like abortion, [in-vitro fertilization], surrogacy, euthanasia as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values and media all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder.” He also criticized President Joe Biden, a practicing Catholic, over his support for abortion.
“Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith but at the same time is delusional enough to make the sign of the cross during a pro-abortion rally,” he said. “He has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that I’m sure to many people, it appears that you can be both Catholic and pro-choice.”
Butker suggested that self-professed Catholics were having a negative effect on American culture and society.
“He is not alone. From the man behind the COVID lockdowns to the people pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America, they all have a glaring thing in common: They are Catholic,” Butker said.
“As members of the Church founded by Jesus Christ, it is our duty and ultimately privilege to be authentically and unapologetically Catholic.”
He also took issue with the lack of pushback against the COVID-19 worship restrictions from Catholic bishops and the embrace of “heterodox ideas” such as “Catholic birth control” where people end up “playing God with having children, whether that be your ideal number or your perfect time to conceive.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
