Serena Williams took a thinly-veiled swipe at Harrison Butker during her hosting duties at the ESPYs on Thursday night, all while the NFL star sat in the audience just feet away.
The tennis legend, 42, celebrated the rise of women’s sports during the awards show at the Dolby Theater, shining a spotlight on the newfound popularity of the WNBA and other achievements.
Butker, a three-time Super Bowl champion, was in attendance at the ESPYs, just two months after delivering a controversial commencement speech in which he made remarks about women being ‘homemakers.’ During his address at Benedictine College in Kansas, he told female graduates: ‘I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about marriage and the children you will bring to this world.’
Serena Williams took aim at Harrison Butker during her hosting duties at the ESPYs
Butker attended the ESPYs and was pictured alone on the red carpet
During the ESPYs, Williams, alongside her sister Venus and comedian Quinta Brunson, took a not-so-subtle dig at Butker. Venus encouraged viewers to ‘enjoy women’s sports like you would any other sports, because they are sports.’ Serena then added: ‘Except you, Harrison Butker. We don’t need you.’ Brunson piled on, stating: ‘At all. Like, ever.’
While the camera did not pan to Butker’s reaction, he was spotted alone on the red carpet earlier in the evening and was understood to be in the audience for the ceremony in LA.
The trio also took aim at Pat McAfee, referencing his use of the word ‘b***h’ to describe female athletes on his ESPN show.
Butker and his wife Isabelle at a red carpet event last month in Kansas City
Butker’s appearance at the ESPYs comes two months after his controversial speech
Williams, Venus, and Brunson emphasized that females in sports can be referred to as ‘athletes, competitors, champions, and dumba**’, with Serena adding: ‘Call them whatever you want… just don’t call them the b-word. You know who you are.’
In the aftermath of his controversial speech, Butker faced backlash from various high-profile figures, including Maria Shriver, the former First Lady of California and ex-wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Serena Williams’ comments about Butker quickly went viral on social media
Butker visited the White House with his Chiefs teammates after his controversial speech
Despite the backlash, Butker, a devout Christian, stood by his beliefs, stating that he values his religion over football. ‘It’s a decision I’ve consciously made and one I do not regret at all,’ he said at a gala in Nashville, Tennessee, shortly after the controversy.
While Butker has since appeared on red carpets with his wife Isabelle, she was notably absent from the ESPYs on Thursday night.
