Travis Kelce has spoken out for the first time about the sexist statements made by his teammate Harrison Butker – albeit quite cautiously.
Travis Kelce (34), Super Bowl winner and friend of Taylor Swift (34), has spoken out about the sexist statements made by his Kansas City Chiefs teammate Harrison Butker (28). He caused outrage last week when he gave a commencement speech to graduates at a Catholic college in the US state of Kansas. In it, he said, for example, that he believed that the women in the audience were “most looking forward to their marriage and the children they will bring into the world.” The football player also spoke out against abortion and the queer community.
The speech quickly made the rounds on social media and caused great outrage – also because Butker quoted Kelce’s girlfriend and pop star Taylor Swift. He said: “As my teammate’s girlfriend says, ‘Familiarity breeds contempt.'” The line comes from Swift’s song “Bejeweled” from her 2022 album “Midnights.”
Travis Kelce values Harrison Butker “as a teammate”
Travis Kelce has now reacted to the controversy – albeit rather cautiously. The 34-year-old said of Butker that he “values him as a teammate.” Regarding Butker’s views, he said: “Those are his views. I can’t say that I agree with most of them or any of them at all.”
He said he knew Butker as someone who treated his friends and family “with nothing but respect and kindness” and treated everyone that way. “I don’t think I should judge him based on his religious views, especially his religious views on how one should approach life. That’s just not who I am,” he added.
The American football league NFL distanced itself from Butker and his statements. The nuns at the Catholic university, Benedictine College, also expressed criticism of the speech.
Source: Stern
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