Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Quinta Brunson called out Harrison Butker at the 2024 ESPY Awards for his Benedictine College speech earlier this year — and now the Kansas City Chiefs kicker has responded.
During a segment at the sports awards show, the three women encouraged the audience to enjoy women’s sports the same way they would other sports because “they are sports,” Venus Williams said.
“Except you, Harrison Butker — we don’t need you,” Serena Williams added, as Brunson chimed in, “At all. Like, ever.”
Butker responded to their comments in a statement, via NBC Sports, saying, “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 continued, “Sports are supposed to be the great unified, 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 comments come a few months after Butker gave a controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College that essentially said a woman’s sole career should be childbearing.
“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 your children,” he said in his 20-minute speech, which condemned abortion, euthanasia, IVF, surrogacy and the LGBTQ community.
He also denounced the “diabolical lies told to women,” suggesting that it was better to enforce traditional gender roles in a relationship and life. “I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother,” he added, noting that she embraced “one of the most important titles of all” as a homemaker.
The Williams sisters and Brunson also seemingly addressed Pat McAfee’s comments from last month, when he referred to Caitlin Clark as a “white bitch” during a discussion about her talent in a segment about race on his ESPN show.
The women went over a list of terms that were acceptable when referring to female athletes, including “athlete,” “champion” and “dumbass” (because, according to Brunson, all athletes are dumbasses sometimes).
“Just don’t use the b-word,” they said to cheers in the audience.
Elsewhere during the awards show, Prince Harry was honored with the Pat Tillman Award, which is “given to a person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger, Pat Tillman,” according to ESPN.
“I stand here not as Prince Harry, Pat Tillman Award recipient, but rather a voice on behalf of the Invictus Games Foundation and the thousands of veterans and service personnel from over 20 nations who have made the Invictus Games Foundation a reality,” the prince said during his acceptance speech. “This award belongs to them, not to me.”
