So, they play on the same team but are Travis Kelce and Harrison Butker actually friends?

Harrison Butker’s controversial speech has been featured on the front pages of many websites after he told female graduates at Benedictine College Kansas, that one of their most important roles in life will be being a “homemaker”, whilst also slating the LGBTQ+ community, and criticising abortion.

In his 20-minute address last Saturday, he said to female graduates at the Catholic private college that they had been told “the most diabolical lies”.  The football star went on to say that “some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world” before venturing that “the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.”

His speech also blatantly attacked IVF, surrogacy, “degenerate cultural values”, “dangerous gender ideologies” and “the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion” whilst referencing a Taylor Swift song in the process.

Fans of Taylor Swift were livid, with one user on X (formerly Twitter), saying: “Telling an entire graduating class of women that they wasted the last four years of their life and that they should be focused on their husbands and future children is diabolical. Following it up by quoting Taylor Swift is COMPLETELY UNHINGED”.

Given that Butker has been mired in this controversy, Travis Kelce, fellow NFL player and Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, has been dragged into the picture by association. The men play on the same team but are Travis Kelce and Harrison Butker close?

So, are Travis Kelce and Harrison Butker friends?

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The Daily Mail reported in March this year that Harrison Butker commented on the relationship between Taylor and Travis, quoting him as saying: “I can’t say enough great things about her… I hope they get married and start a family!”. To an outsider this seems pretty friendly to me – we know Taylor has made friends with a lot of the team’s players, as well as their girlfriends and wives.

Moreover, Travis and Harrion Butker follow each other on Instagram, showing that Travis has not pruned this particular relationship, or friendship, from the public eye.

The Athletic (the sporting segment of the New York Times) reported that the NFL has released a statement distancing itself from Butker, saying: “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”. The Kansas City Chiefs has declined to comment.

Jason Kelce, Travis’ brother, has reportedly commented on a post of the viral video, saying: “Yeah, this is not the type of values I want people and my children seeing on TV. Spread love. Hate and judgement is never the answer.” Maybe this is indicative of a split between Travis Kelce and Harrison Butker and that they are no longer friends.

Travis Kelce has now spoken out about the speech

In the latest episode of his New Heights podcast that he hosts alongside his brother Jason, Travis directly addressed Harrison Butker’s graduation speech. He began: “I’ve known him for seven or eight-plus years, and I cherish him as a teammate. I think Pat said it best: He is every bit of a great person and a great teammate. He’s treated friends and family that I’ve introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness, and that’s how he treats everyone.”

“When it comes down to his 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 him loving his family and his kids. I don’t think that I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views, of how to go about life. It’s just not who I am.” Travis’ response makes it clear he has a lot of respect for Butker on the pitch but suggests that’s as far as their relationship now goes.

Related articles recommended by this author:

• Chiefs player makes hateful grad speech calling women ‘wives and mothers’ and Pride ‘sinful’

• ‘A lot of the men were excited’: Female graduate speaks out about Harrison Butker’s speech

• NFL responds to Harrison Butker’s grad speech, stating it does not agree with his ‘views’