Friday, November 8, 2024

Serena Williams shades Harrison Butker during 2024 ESPYs — with him in the audience: ‘We don’t need you’

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Serena Williams is throwing shade.

The athlete blasted Harrison Butker as she hosted the 2024 ESPYs on Thursday — and the Kansas City Chiefs player was in the audience.

The retired tennis star, 42, and her sister, Venus Williams, were joking about women’s sports onstage with Quinta Brunson at the time.

Serena Williams blasted Harrison Butker at the ESPYs. Getty Images for W+P
“We don’t need you,” the host quipped onstage, AP
Quinta Brunson added, “At all, like, ever.” AP

“Go ahead and enjoy women’s sports like you would any other sport,” Venus, 44, told viewers.

Serena chimed in, “Except you, Harrison Butker, we don’t need you.”

Brunson, 34, added, “At all, like, ever.”

Butker was in the audience at the time. FilmMagic
The camera did not catch his reaction. Getty Images for W+P

While the camera did not pan to Butker, 28, to catch the kicker’s reaction, he was present at the ceremony and walked the red carpet.

The NFL player did not attend with wife Isabelle Butker, instead posing for pictures solo.

The awards ceremony took place two months after Butker’s controversial commencement speech at Benedictine University in which he urged women to consider “homemaker” their “most important title.”

Butker made headlines for a sexist, anti-LGBTQ+ speech in May. BenedictineCollege
He has doubled down on his controversial remarks. AFP via Getty Images

The Georgia Tech graduate, whose mother is an accomplished physicist, said, “I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother.”

Butker has stood by his headline-making address, which also included anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments, saying at a May fundraiser that he has no “regret[s] at all.”

His teammates, however, have voiced their differing opinions while maintaining that Butker is a “good person.”

Butker is the kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs. Getty Images
Many of his teammates have made it clear they do not share his views. AP

Travis Kelce clarified during a May “New Heights” podcast episode that he didn’t agree with “just about any” of the remarks made.

The tight end, 34, added, “My views are never gonna be the same as the man next to me. You put your differences inside for one goal in common, and that’s the beauty of team sports.”

Butker, notably, referenced Kelce’s partner, Taylor Swift, in his speech — but not by name, only as “my teammate’s girlfriend” — as he quoted song lyrics.

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