Harrison Butker attended the ESPYs. He might be regretting the decision.
Butker, who created controversy earlier this year with a commencement address that advocated for women to shun careers for childrearing, drew a mention during a segment featuring Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and Quinta Brunson.
“Go ahead and enjoy women’s sports like you would any other sports, because they are sports,” Venus Williams said.
“Except you, Harrison Butker,” Serena Williams added. “We don’t need you.”
“At all,” Brunson said. “Like, ever.”
ESPN’s cameras didn’t cut to Butker for a non-verbal reaction. On Friday, he issued a statement.
“I thought Mrs. Williams was a great host and applaud her for using her platform to express her beliefs on a variety of topics,” Butker said, via NBCNews.com. “Sports are supposed to be the great unifier and at an event dedicated to celebrating a diverse group of men and women who have accomplished great feats, she used it as an opportunity to disinvite those with whom she disagrees with from supporting fellow athletes.”
Butker’s attempted pivot to victim isn’t as adroit as he had hoped, even without the extra “with.” He disinvited himself. Serena Williams and Quinta Brunson were merely acknowledging it.
Looking at it more broadly, Butker didn’t use the situation as an opportunity to explain that his words from May were in some way misunderstood or misinterpreted. His acknowledgment that Serena Williams is someone “with whom she disagrees with” tends to confirm that he said what he meant and he meant what he said.