Chiefs’ heiress Gracie Hunt defended Harrison Butker’s speech

Gracie Hunt, the Kansas City Chiefs heiress, has backed Harrison Butker’s contentious commencement address.

The NFL kicker has faced criticism for comments he made at Benedictine College, in which he referred to Pride Month as a ‘deadly sin’ and claimed that a woman’s life does not fully begin until she becomes a mother.

Hunt, 25, stepped forward to defend the Super Bowl champion against accusations of sexism and homophobia.

‘I can only speak from my personal perspective, which is that I had the most fantastic mother who was able to stay at home and care for us,’ Hunt told Fox.

‘I appreciate that many women are unable to make that option, but I know it was very formative in forming me and my siblings into the people we are now.’

She acknowledged that she ‘for sure’ grasped Butker’s ideas.

‘I genuinely respect Harrison, his Christian faith, and what he’s accomplished on and off the field,’ Hunt said.

Hunt is one of three children raised by Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt and his wife, former model Tavia Hunt.

She is the middle kid, with older brother Knobel Hunt and younger sister Ava Hunt.

Her words echo those of her mother, who recently expressed her support for Butker in an Instagram post.

‘Affirming parenthood and appreciating your wife, as well as emphasizing the sacrifice and dedication required to be a mother, is not discriminatory,’ Tavia wrote.

‘It is inspiring to realize that a woman’s efforts in raising children are not in vain.’

However, she stated that she “always encouraged my daughters to be highly educated and pursue their dreams.”

Butker’s statements last week at the Catholic private liberal arts school in Atchison, Kansas, stirred outrage.

‘I think it is you, the women, who have had the most devilish lies fed to you,’ he continued, before implying that the female grads were’most thrilled’ about getting married and having children rather than seeking a job.

‘I can tell you that my lovely wife Isabelle would be the first to state that her life truly began when she started living her vocation as a wife and mother,’ he continued.

Isabelle’s desire of pursuing a job may not have come true. But if you ask her today if she has any regrets about her decision, she will laugh out loud and say, ‘Hell no.”

In an ironic twist, it was later revealed that Butker was raised by a successful career lady whom he did not mention in his speech.

Butker’s mother is Elizabeth Keller Butker, a physicist who works at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta, according to her LinkedIn profile.

She has many academic degrees, including one in chemistry from Smith College, a private women’s liberal arts school in Massachusetts.

The mother of two went on to acquire a master’s degree in medical physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology before joining Emory in 1988. She specializes in brachytherapy and Gamma Knife medical physics care.

Butker also criticized Biden’s policies, such as his denunciation of the Supreme Court’s reversal of the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling and support for reproductive rights – a critical campaign topic in the 2024 presidential race.

Biden, who is Catholic, has a complicated history with the topic. He initially opposed the Roe v. Wade judgment, claiming it went too far.

He also opposed federal abortion funding and advocated for late-term abortion limits.

Following the 20-minute talk, the NFL released its own statement.

“Harrison Butker delivered a speech in his personal capacity,” NFL senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer Jonathan Beane said in a statement.

‘His views do not reflect those of the NFL as a whole. The NFL remains committed in its commitment to inclusion, which only strengthens the league.