Kylie Kelce has entered the chat.
During a recent appearance on “Cheddar,” Kelce, the wife of former Eagles center Jason Kelce, was asked about Harrison Butker’s now-viral commencement speech at Benedictine College in May.
The Chiefs’ kicker encouraged female graduates to embrace being “homemaker” — and said they’ve been diabolically lied to about topics including abortion, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy.
“I think that everyone is entitled to their own opinion,” Kelce, who is a mother of three young daughters, said when asked about Butker’s remarks. “I hope that if anyone does not align with those views in that graduating class that they know that they have just achieved something that no one can take away from them. Their education will stick with them for the rest of their lives.”
Kelce went on to praise those female graduates at Benedictine College, and emphasized the importance of female empowerment.
“I hope they were appropriately celebrated if that was not their view, and if it was and they’re looking forward to making a family and being a stay at home mom, then more power to them,” she said. “I think that as women we should support each other in our choices and making sure that we feel as though we can do whatever we would like to do.
“So hopefully those graduating women know that at the very least I’m very proud of them, and I hope that they go on to do whatever it is that makes their heart happy.”
It came a few weeks after Kelce made headlines for confronting a drunk woman who flipped out when she and Jason turned down a picture while on a date night in New Jersey.
The woman has since publicly apologized.
Butker doubled down on his commencement speech after he received backlash for his remarks about women.
The three-time Super Bowl champ also praised his wife Isabelle — whom he shares two children, a son and daughter — for embracing her role as a homemaker.
“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 said in his commencement speech, adding that he is “beyond blessed” because Isabelle “would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.”
The couple attended the Chiefs Super Bowl 2024 ring ceremony in Kansas City on Thursday night.
The NFL issued a statement saying Butker’s comments do not align with the league’s values.
The Chiefs did not discipline Butker over the situation.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and his players, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, faced questions about Butker’s comments while at OTAs.
“I didn’t talk to him about this. I didn’t think we needed to,” Reid said at the time. “We’re a microcosm of life. Everyone is from different areas, different religions, different races. And so, we all get along, we all respect each other’s opinions and not necessarily do we go by those, but we respect everyone to have a voice. That’s. the great thing about America, man … and my wish is that everybody can kind of follow that.”
Mahomes defended his teammate’s character during the press conference.
“I’ve known him for seven years. I judge him by the character he shows every day and that’s a good person,” Mahomes told reporters at Chiefs OTAs. “We’re not always going to agree. He said certain things I don’t agree with.”
Travis echoed a similar message and explained that he did not agree with much of Butker’s speech.
“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,” Travis said at the time. “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.”
Chiefs heiress Gracie Hunt also defended Butker when Steve Doocy asked about the kicker’s speech during an appearance on “Fox & Friends” last Friday — and said she respects the kicker and his Christian faith.
The Chiefs open the 2024-25 season against the Ravens in Kansas City on Sept. 5.
