Travis Kelce Breaks Silence on Engagement and Pregnancy Controversy

Travis Kelce Breaks Silence On Harrison Butker Controversy

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said he disagreed with “the majority” of teammate Harrison Butker’s controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College during the latest episode of his New Heights podcast released on Friday (May 24).

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Kelce, 34, the boyfriend of pop superstar Taylor Swift, acknowledged that he believes Butker is a “great person” entitled to his own views, though clarified that he didn’t agree with “just about any of it besides him loving his family and his kids.” The kicker faced backlash for comments taking aim at working women, the LGBTQ+ community, and abortion rights during the recent graduation ceremony.

“I like to take some of the credit,” the three-time Super Bowl champion confessed. “I was the one who invited Travis to the first Taylor concert when the friendship bracelet [idea came up]. He was sitting in my suite, so I felt like I was the matchmaker.”

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Gardner actually suggested Kelce as an “SNL” host to executive producer Lorne Michaels. According to her, he agreed, but said, “He has to win the Super Bowl.”

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Kelce praised his mother, Donna, and his father, Ed, for both being “homemakers” and providers during his childhood.

“They were unbelievable at being present every single day of my life,” he said. “That was a beautiful upbringing for me. … I’m not the same person without both of them being who they were in my life.”

“I’m just gonna go back to my beliefs and my family,” Kelce added. “My views are never gonna be the same as the man next to me.”

“You put your differences aside for one goal in common, and that’s the beauty of team sports,” he noted.

Kelce’s response echoes those made by quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid earlier in the week while addressing reporters during the Chiefs’ OTAs.

“I’ve known him for seven years. I judge him by the character he shows every day and that’s a good person,” Mahomes said via The Athletic’s Nate Taylor. “We’re not always going to agree. He said certain things I don’t agree with.”

“I’ve seen the clips,” Mahomes added. “That’s his view.”

Reid said he didn’t think he “needed to” when asked about giving a response to Butker’s comments.

“We’re a microcosm of life,” Reid said via Taylor. “We all respect each other’s opinions. We all have a voice.”

The NFL publicly condemned Butker’s comments amid growing backlash last week.

“Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity,” said Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, in a written statement to PEOPLE on Wednesday (May 15). “His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”

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Butker, 28, a three-time Super Bowl champion, quoted a song by Swift — which Kelce didn’t address during his New Heights response — before taking aim at what he claimed were “diabolical lies told to women,” and the LGBTQ+ community — which Swift has publicly been an outspoken ally for — claiming Pride Month represented “deadly sins,” as well as abortion, in vitro fertilization, surrogacy, President Joe Biden and what he referred to as “the cultural emasculation of men.”

“For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment,” Butker said. “I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you.”

“Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world,” he added.

Butker was drafted by the Carolina Panthers at No. 233 overall in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft but was waived early in his rookie season and signed by the Chiefs off the Panthers’ practice squad on September 26, 2017. The former Georgia Tech standout has emerged as one of the NFL’s best kickers, kicking a game-winning field goal during Kansas City’s Super Bowl LVII win against the Philadelphia Eagles, setting a career record for field goals in the Super Bowl (9) during his four appearances and making the longest field goal in Super Bowl history during the Chiefs’ win against the San Francisco 49ers in February and leading the NFL in scoring during the 2019 regular season.