Amy Sussman/WireImage//Amy Sussman/WireImage
Tennis great Serena Williams took a shot at Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker on Thursday night at the ESPY Awards.
Williams, presenting alongside her sister Venus Williams and actress Quinta Brunson, quipped that Butker can be exempt from enjoying women’s sports, suggesting he’s anti-woman for his recent Catholic speech that praised his wife and other homemakers.
“So, go ahead and enjoy women’s sports like you would any other sports, because they are sports,” Venus said.
“Except you, Harrison Butker,” Williams chimed in. “We don’t need you.”
“At all,” Brunson finished the dig. “Like, ever.”
“So, go ahead and enjoy women’s sports like you would any other sports, because they are sports.” – Venus Williams
“Except you, Harrison Butker. We don’t need you.” – Serena Williams
“At all. Like, ever.” – Quinta Brunson #ESPYS pic.twitter.com/RhvxfiHUWN
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 12, 2024
Butker gave a commencement address at Benedictine College in the spring and sparked outrage from leftists. During the address, he called out President Joe Biden’s support for abortion, criticized “Pride Month,” and praised his wife for raising their children, being a homemaker, and being his strongest support.
Triggering the most outrage, Butker told the female grads, “It cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.”
He also emphasized that women should cherish their families and their babies even more than their careers — something that is typically not uttered in mainstream culture.
Despite the strong backlash, Butker refused to back down. As exclusively reported by The Daily Wire, Butker gave a subsequent speech and noted the “shocking level of hate” he received, stating that it would not deter him from being “unapologetic” about his faith.
He also received support from Kansas City head coach Andy Reid and teammates Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones. Moreover, Butker’s jersey sales skyrocketed following the address, notably selling out in women’s sizes in the NFL Shop.
Zach Jewell contributed to this report.
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