Serena Williams & Quinta Brunson Call Out Harrison Butker At The ESPYs
He was in the audience, BTW.
Harrison Butker’s controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College won’t be forgotten anytime soon. During the ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Awards, stars Serena Williams and Quinta Brunson criticized Butker’s comments... while the Chiefs kicker was in the audience.
ICYMI, Butker’s speech was widely seen as problematic, especially when he told the female graduates that their true “vocation” was getting married and having children. “I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you,” Butker said in May. “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.”
When Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and Quinta Brunson got on stage at the ESPYs, they discussed the importance of female athletes. “So go ahead and enjoy women’s sports like you would any other sport... because they are sports,” Venus said.
Serena put in, while laughing, “Except you, Harrison Butker, we don’t need you.” Brunson added, “At all, like, ever.” Though Butker was in the audience, the camera didn’t pan to him to capture his reaction.
The Williams sisters and Brunson aren’t the only ones to critique Butker. Katy Perry also called out the Chiefs player. In June, she posted an edited version of the speech on IG. “Fixed this for my girls, my graduates, and my gays,” the singer captioned the post. “You can do anything, congratulations and happy Pride.”
The Kelce brothers also commented on the speech. Travis Kelce, who plays alongside Butker, made a point to say that Butker’s views were his alone. “I can’t say I agree with the majority of it — or just about any of it,” he said on New Heights.
“Make no mistake about it, a lot of the things he said in his commencement speech are not things that I align myself with,” Jason Kelce said on New Heights. “If my daughters listen to anybody tell them what to do, that they should be homemakers, then I've failed as a dad.”
