At the 2024 ESPY Awards held on Thursday in Hollywood, hosts Serena Williams and Quinta Brunson used the event to criticize Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker for his statements about women’s roles.
During a segment on women’s sports, tennis legend Venus Williams stated, “Go ahead and enjoy women’s sports like you would any other sports, because they are sports.” Her sister Serena then added with a laugh, “Except you, Harrison Butker. We don’t need you,” with Brunson chiming in, “At all. Like, ever.”
The comments referred to Butker’s May 11 commencement speech at Benedictine College, where he suggested that for many female graduates, their primary excitement would be about “marriage and the children you will bring into this world” rather than career achievements.
Harrison Butker’s speech, which also touched on contentious topics such as birth control and abortion, sparked widespread criticism. NBC News reported that some graduating students described his remarks as “uncomfortable” and inappropriate for the occasion.
In response to the backlash, the NFL’s senior vice president, Jonathan Beane, told People Magazine that:
Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.
However, Butker has reportedly expressed no regrets about his comments.
The ESPY incident is the latest in a series of public criticisms directed at Butker. Previously, Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder had also criticized the NFL player during a concert in Las Vegas.
While Butker was present at the ESPYs, cameras did not capture his reaction to the hosts’ comments.