Harrison Butker is getting candid about the reaction to his previous controversial comments on women in the workforce.
On Thursday, Oct. 10, the Kansas City Chiefs kicker, 29, spoke with Fox News after announcing his endorsement of Josh Hawley (R) in his senator re-election bid. During the discussion with host Laura Ingraham, Butker addressed the reaction to his May commencement speech — in which he talked about “diabolical lies told to women” about working rather than becoming homemakers.
“I’m definitely saddened [some people] took it in a poor manner,” Butker, who appeared in the interview alongside Hawley, told Ingraham. “I was talking to a specific crowd that I think was able to understand what I was trying to say.”
“But I was trying to speak life for so many women that have dedicated their life to being the homemaker, being the one that raises the children,” he explained. “And it’s a beautiful role, but it’s not a role that should be diminished.”
The NFL player went on to say that it “maybe” was “countercultural to speak those values,” but noted that it was something he watched his mother, Elizabeth Butker, who is an accomplished physicist, and wife Isabelle Butker do at home.
“There’s nothing shameful if you are a woman and you want to spend time with your family and raise your children, so it’s not putting down anyone who maybe wants to go get a great education and have a career,” he said.
“But it’s more talking about how beautiful it is for women to maybe just step aside and prioritize their family and spend time with their children and raise their family. And that’s what I was just trying to speak love about,” he added.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The Kansas City Chiefs kicker previously made headlines following his May 11 commencement address at Benedictine College, in which he offered his opinions on subjects including vitro fertilization (IVF), abortion and surrogacy, and said that Pride Month represented “deadly sins.”
Harrison also addressed female students directly and spoke about his wife’s decision to become a homemaker rather than work.
“For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment,” he said at the time. “I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you.”
“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,” Butker continued.
“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.
The comments sparked backlash, including from several stars such as Katy Perry, Flavor Flav, Maria Shriver, the latter of whom wrote on X at the time, “As a woman who has leaned into my vocation of living a meaningful life inside and outside the home to not only raise good humans but also raise up our country in various ways, I think it’s demeaning to women to imply that their choices outside of wife and motherhood pale in comparison to that of a homemaker.”
“It took a revolution to get women the right to vote, to get women birth control pills, to get women to be able to put their names on a checking account, to get them maternity leave, to get them anything close to pay equity, to get elected to office, to get them where they are today!,” Shriver added.
Read the full article here
