CHIEF SNUB
Serena Williams tells Harrison Butker ‘we don’t need you’ during ESPYs speech right in front of Kansas City Chiefs star
Butker made divisive comments at a graduation address in May
TENNIS legend Serena Williams has hit out at NFL star Harrison Butker during the 2024 ESPY Awards.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner called out Butker live on ABC during Thursday night's ceremony.
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Williams hosted the celebrity-packed awards from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
She was joined on stage by her sister Venus and actress Quinta Brunson for a segment on women's sports.
"So, go ahead and enjoy women's sports like you would any other sports, because they are sports," Venus said in a widely circulated clip.
"Except you, Harrison Butker, we don’t need you," fired back Serena, to cheers and applause from the audience.
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"At all, like ever, "actress Quinta Brunson added.
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Butker was widely criticized following an address he gave to graduates at Benedictine College, Kansas, in May.
During the speech, the 28-year-old spoke out about a woman's place in society, telling female students they had been told the "most diabolical lies."
He claimed female graduates should "lean into their vocation" as wives and mothers and said males should "fight against the cultural emasculation of men."
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Butker was in the audience at the awards, where his teammate Patrick Mahomes was honored with the Best NFL Player and Best Athlete in Men's Sports.
The Chiefs kicker rocked a sharp white suit and his Super Bowl LVIII ring as he posed on the red carpet ahead of the ceremony.
‘I do not regret at all,’ Harrison Butker says of divisive graduation speech with Chiefs star doubling down on his views
Later in the show, there was confusion as the ABC feed appeared to glitch in a number of time zones.
Viewers in Central and Eastern areas saw a re-run of a video montage featuring Prince Harry from earlier in the evening.
The ABC feed suddenly cut back to the present, having missed the final award of the night.
The issues were reportedly caused by a late start due to coverage of President Joe Biden’s press conference from Washington DC.
Some areas cut to local news at 11.30 pm ET due to ABC's hard-out requirement, per Awful Announcing.
Butker's most controversial remarks from speech
The NFL has distanced themselves from the comments
Harrison Butker's commencement speech at Benedictine College has gone viral after he spoke out on abortion, Pride month, and Covid-19 lockdown measures.
An outspoken Catholic, the NFL kicker urged students to stay on the path of righteousness and religion during his address.
Butker took a swipe at President Biden for supporting abortion rights which he labelled as the "murder of innocent babies".
"Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values and media all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder," he continued.
"Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith but at the same time is delusional enough to make the sign of the cross during a pro-abortion rally."
Butker went on to call Pride month a "deadly sin," and suggested it promoted "dangerous gender ideologies."
He also singled out female graduates in the audience and told them they had been told "diabolical lies."
"For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment," he began.
"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."
The NFL has since responded, saying: "[Butker's] views are not those of the NFL as an organization."
The South Carolina Women's basketball team was named Best Team in the award missed by ABC.
"I'm so confused how the ESPYs ended - someone getting fired," wrote one fan on X.
"The #espys just glitched, hit the dreaded 11:30p local news cut off and missed the ENTIRE Prince Harry segment — WOW!!" said another.
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Butker and the Chiefs return to training camp later this month.
The reigning Super Bowl champions are chasing a historic three-peat.
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