Harrison Butker is opening up about the backlash he received after making controversial comments regarding women and their roles in the workforce. The Kansas City Chiefs kicker, 29, recently addressed the topic in an interview on Fox News on Thursday, Oct. 10, while endorsing Josh Hawley (R) for his Senate re-election campaign.
Speaking with host Laura Ingraham, Butker reflected on the strong reactions to his May commencement speech, during which he claimed that women were being misled into prioritizing careers over homemaking.
“I’m definitely saddened that some people took it in a poor manner,” Butker said, appearing alongside Hawley in the interview. “I was speaking to a specific audience that I think understood what I was trying to say.”
Butker clarified that his intent was to honor and celebrate women who choose to dedicate themselves to raising children and managing the household. “I was trying to speak life for so many women who have committed to being homemakers, to raising their families. It’s a beautiful role, but one that often gets diminished,” he said, highlighting that his message wasn’t meant to devalue women who pursue careers.
The kicker went on to acknowledge that his message was “countercultural” but noted that it was a perspective shaped by personal experience. He cited his own mother, Elizabeth Butker, an accomplished physicist, and his wife Isabelle Butker, both of whom have navigated the balance between family and career.
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“There’s nothing shameful if a woman wants to focus on her family and children. It’s not about demeaning anyone who wants an education or a career. But I was trying to emphasize the beauty of women stepping aside, prioritizing their family, and raising their children,” Butker explained.
The conversation stemmed from Butker’s commencement address on May 11 at Benedictine College, where he shared his views on a range of social issues, including abortion, surrogacy, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and Pride Month. However, it was his comments directed at female graduates that sparked the most significant backlash. During the speech, he congratulated the women on their achievements but asserted that they had been told “diabolical lies” about the importance of working over marriage and motherhood.
“For the women here today, congratulations on your incredible accomplishments,” Butker said during his address. “But I believe it is you, the women, who have been told the most harmful lies. Some of you may pursue successful careers, but I would guess most of you are looking forward to marriage and motherhood. My wife, Isabelle, would tell you that her life truly began when she became a wife and mother.”
His comments drew widespread criticism, including from celebrities like Katy Perry, Flavor Flav, and Maria Shriver. Shriver, in particular, took to social media to challenge Butker’s remarks, posting on X (formerly Twitter), “As a woman who has leaned into my vocation both at home and in my career, I find it demeaning to suggest that a woman’s choices outside of marriage and motherhood pale in comparison to being a homemaker.”
Shriver added, “It took a revolution to give women the right to vote, access to birth control, financial independence, maternity leave, and even basic pay equity. To suggest that these hard-fought rights are less valuable than homemaking is troubling.”
Despite the backlash, Butker remains unapologetic about his views, emphasizing that his intention was to celebrate women’s choices and highlight the importance of family, rather than to undermine their achievements in other areas.
The controversy continues to follow the NFL star, as he navigates the intersection of sports, personal beliefs, and public reaction.
