Harrison Butker opened up about that controversial graduation speech he gave earlier this year, and he’s not backing down from his stance.
The 29-year-old kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs made headlines after delivering a commencement address at Benedictine College in May. During it, he took aim at a variety of topics including abortion rights, the LGBTQ+ community and working women.
His speech sparked an intense backlash online, with him saying that he had received a “shocking level of hate.”
Months later, Harrison is reflecting on the situation and how he feels about his remarks. He also shared what his wife Isabelle thought about his comments on women, motherhood and marriage.
Keep reading to find out more…
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday (August 7), Harrison said that he “appreciated all the feedback.” However, he had not changed his opinion about any of the topics he spoke on.
“In terms of what I said, I prayed about it, and I thought about it. And I was very intentional with what I said. And I stand behind what I said,” he explained. “I really believe if people knew me as a person and understood that it was coming from a place of love and not a place of trying to attack or put people down, that I only want the best for people. That’s what I was trying to say there. I think the people that were in that gymnasium all understood what I was saying.”
When asked about his comments on motherhood, he said, “My whole career, I’ve talked about how I’m a husband and I’m a father before it comes to me as a kicker. It’s something I’ve always preached. But then when I used that to talk about women, I say that they should embrace and love being wives and being mothers over their career. I think then it gets construed that I’m trying to put women down, which I’m not at all. I love women. I love my wife, and it comes from a place of love.”
He continued, revealing that Isabelle was present for his speech.
“I was getting emotional looking at her crying and understanding that she has sacrificed so much for me. She has completely changed her life around, and she has made sure she focused on being the ultimate wife and the ultimate mother. And I love her so much for that. And I see how happy and excited she is day to day to wake up, embrace that life,” she said.
“She pushes me to be a better husband and a better father and focus on my three children and focus on her over maybe trying to be the best kicker I can be out on that field,” he added.
Did you see that a huge pop star put a more uplifting twist on Harrison‘s speech? He was also dragged for his comments during a recent big event.
