Jason Kelce has doubled down on comments he made after a social media user labeled him "hypocritical" for his opinion on Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech.
On May 11, Butker delivered a speech at Benedictine College that was full of socially conservative rhetoric. The Kansas City Chiefs kicker said a woman's most important title is "homemaker," and referred to Pride Month as an example of "deadly sins." The remarks were met with a strong backlash and the NFL made a statement declaring Butker's "views are not those of the NFL as an organization."
While Jason Kelce defended some of Butker's comments during the May 24 episode of the New Heights podcast, he insisted some parts of his speech "are not things that I align myself with."
Days after the episode aired, the retired NFL star then came to wife Kylie Kelce's defense after an X user (formerly Twitter) called her a "homemaker whose home is a mess." Jason Kelce then posted a follow-up message to X to explain his point further.
"I was trying to point out to the original poster that they can't be compared, and her point was wrong. It's that simple. I said they shouldn't be compared," the father of three wrote, after an X user accused him of "telling oppressed people not to be offended."
"'That being said', is me saying oh, and your entire point you're trying to make is wrong too, because I wouldn't be offended if someone didn't like football. I know I could have worded this better, or just not tweeted at all, but I thought the start of the tweet, and context of the original poster made the intent clear."
Newsweek emailed Jason Kelce via the New Heights email address for comment on Tuesday.
The X user who posted about Kylie Kelce said: "But you can't support butker. And your wife is a homemaker whose home is a mess. Sorry but it is dirty and messy on television. Seems you're a bit hypocritical. Y'all are going to be left with nothing but swifties. You just ruined your gig. It's a shame."
I was trying to point out to the original poster that they can't be compared, and her point was wrong. It's that simple. I said they shouldn't be compared. "That being said", is me saying oh, and your entire point you're trying to make is wrong too, because I wouldn't be...
— Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) May 27, 2024
In his first statement online, Jason Kelce wrote: "I don't think of Kylie as a homemaker, I think of her as my wife. I think of her as a mother. She has an occupation, as do I, and we keep our house the best we can. Our marriage is a partnership, we are equals who are figuring it out on the daily.
"The only expectation is that we love each other, support one another, and are committed to our family, that comes first. We both raise our kids, we both work, We both keep our home. It is both our faults it is messy, but such is life with 3 young children, busy schedules, and neither of us being neat freaks. She also makes a mean sandwhich [sic]."
He also explained that he doesn't "downplay" the role of a homemaker, adding: "If being a homemaker, works for some, and that's what they want, then hell yea, that's awesome, more power to you ... but that is not our family dynamic."
During the May 24 episode of the New Heights podcast, both Jason Kelce and his brother, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, directly addressed Butker's comments. Jason Kelce explained that Kylie Kelce was "a little bit frustrated with some of the comments," and that "if my daughters listen to anybody tell them what to do, that they should be homemakers, then I've failed as a dad."
Travis Kelce—who has been Butker's teammate since 2017—said he does not agree with "the majority" of what the kicker said.
"When it comes down to [Butker's] views and what he said at [Benedictine's] commencement speech, those are his. I can't say I agree with the majority of it or just about any of it outside of just him loving his family and his kids. And I don't think that I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views, of how to go about life, that's just not who I am," he explained.
Butker spoke publicly about the controversy surrounding his recent speech for the first time on Friday evening at a Courage Under Fire gala in Nashville, Tennessee.
"If it wasn't clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now," he said.
"Over the past few days, my beliefs, or what people think I believe, have been the focus of countless discussions around the globe."
Butker said that since speaking on issues away from football he has become "more polarizing." "It's a decision I've consciously made, and one I do not regret at all," he said.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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