Harrison Butker has issued a statement after Serena Williams called him out during a segment at the 2024 ESPY Awards.
"I thought Mrs. Williams was a great host and applaud her for using her platform to express her beliefs on a variety of topics," he said in a statement shared with NBC News. "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."
The Kansas City Chiefs kicker responded one day after Serena, hosting the ESPYs, took the stage with her sister, tennis legend Venus Williams, and Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson. The trio urged fans to enjoy women's sports the same as any other, with Venus saying, "So go ahead and enjoy women's sports like you would any other sports, because they are sports."
Serena then added, "Except you, Harrison Butker, we don't need you," to which Quinta responded with, "At all, like, ever."
The statements drew a mixed response, with some gasping and some booing but others cheering loudly. Harrison was in the audience at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, but ESPN cameras never cut to him to see his reaction.
Serena Williams onstage as host of the 2024 ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California.
Harrison attended the annual awards ceremony solo without his wife, Isabelle. He flashed a big smile and his Super Bowl ring on the red carpet while wearing a white tuxedo jacket and stripped pants. His teammate, Patrick Mahomes, went home with the Best Athlete in Men's Sports title as well as the Best NFL Player award.
Harrison drew backlash back in May with his commencement speech at Benedictine College, where he railed against working women, the LGBTQ+ community and President Joe Biden, among other things. He also told the graduating women in the audience to lean on their "most important title" of "homemaker."
Among those who condemned Harrison's speech included the NFL and the sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, a "founding institution and sponsor of Benedictine College," as well as U.S. Catholic, the faith-based magazine founded in 1935, which underscored in an op-ed that "the Catholic Church is stronger and more vibrant thanks to women's diverse contributions -- in the home, in religious life, and in the workplace."
Harrison Butker flashes his Super Bowl ring at the 2024 ESPY Awards.
But just weeks later, Harrison doubled down on his speech at a gala and implored his supporters to be "unapologetic" and "never be afraid to speak out for truth, even when it goes against the loudest voices."
Following Harrison's commencement speech, his teammate, Travis Kelce, reacted to the speech on his New Heights podcast.
"I know Harry and I saw him in the building. I call him Harry -- I might be the only person who calls him Harry," Kelce shared on the New Heights podcast. "That just tells you, I mean, I’ve known him for seven-plus, eight-plus years and I cherish him as a teammate. He’s treated friends and family that I’ve introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness and that’s how he treats everyone."
Kelce continued, "When it comes down to his views and what he said at the [Benedictine College] commencement speech, you know, those are his [views]. I can't say I agree with the majority of it -- or just about any of it-- outside of just him loving his family or his kids. I don’t think I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views of how he goes about life."
RELATED CONTENT:
