Current:Home > reviewsKelly Stafford, Wife of NFL's Matthew Stanford, Weighs in on Harrison Butker Controversy -NextLevel Wealth Academy
Kelly Stafford, Wife of NFL's Matthew Stanford, Weighs in on Harrison Butker Controversy
View
Date:2025-04-18 02:23:00
Kelly Stafford, the wife of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, has joined the chat about Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech.
The Kansas City Chiefs kicker has sparked mixed reactions over his remarks at Benedictine College, a Catholic college in Atchison, Kan. May 11, in which he said most female graduates would be "most excited" about marriage and motherhood and spoke about against topics such as abortion and IVF. Five days later, Kelly, who shares four daughters with Matthew and is both a self-proclaimed "homemaker" and a podcast co-host, shared her thoughts on Harrison's speech.
"Building men up and not tearing them down is important. Building women and not tearing them down is important," she wrote on Instagram. "Everyone has a choice of what they want his/her life to look like...it's not up to anyone else or society. The more society tells women where they belong, the more imposter syndrome starts to creep in, that they don't belong because that's what society is telling them."
She continued, "I'm happy and I thrive at home with being the homemaker, but that's not every woman's story nor should it have to be. Some women choose not to stay home and some women don't have the luxury to choose. We all might not agree on everything, but I think we all want the same end goal, a better world for our kids. I think supporting and encouraging women and men in whatever roles they choose is a great first step towards that goal."
Harrison, 28, has not responded publicly to the backlash over his speech. Meanwhile, the NFL issued their own response amid the controversy.
"Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity," the league's senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer Jonathan Beane said in a statement to People. "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."
In his speech, Butker said he thought female students had been told "diabolical lies," adding, "How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? 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 continued, "I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother."
To the male students, Harrison said, "Be unapologetic in your masculinity, fighting against the cultural emasculation of men."
The athlete also said in his speech that "things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values in media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder."
Later, in an unrelated part of the speech, Harrison referenced the lyric "familiarity breeds contempt" from Taylor Swift's 2022 song "Bejeweled" after referring to her solely as his "teammate's girlfriend."
The track from the 14-time Grammy winner, who has been dating Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce since last summer, has a female empowerment theme, with the preceding lyrics being, "Best believe I'm still bejeweled / When I walk in the room / I can still make the whole place shimmer / And when I meet the band / They ask, 'Do you have a man?' / I could still say, 'I don't remember.'
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (94)
Related
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- How Sex/Life's Sarah Shahi and Adam Demos Fell in Love in Front of the Camera
- Ballroom dancer and longtime 'Dancing With The Stars' judge Len Goodman dies at 78
- How Mya Byrne paved her long, winding road to country music with grit and sparkle
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- TikTok's Everything Shower Trend Is an Easy Way to Prioritize Self-Care
- Let Netflix's Formula One: Drive to Survive Season 5 Racers Speed Straight Into Your Heart
- PEN America gala honors Salman Rushdie, his first in-person appearance since stabbing
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Howie Mandel’s Masked Singer Exit Interview Will Genuinely Make You Laugh
Ranking
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Vanderpump Rules' Tom Sandoval Calls Lala Kent a Bully Who Needs a Hobby as Feud Heats Up
- The Masked Singer: Find Out the '80s Pop Icon and Comedian-Turned-TV Host Who Were Sent Home
- 3 works in translation tell science-driven tales
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- Outer Banks' Madelyn Cline Shares What It Was Like Working With Chase Stokes After Breakup
- Paris Hilton Reflects on Decision to Have an Abortion in Her 20s
- Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga and More Best Dressed Stars to Ever Hit the SAG Awards Red Carpet
Recommendation
Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
Who will win 87,000 bottles of wine? 'Drops of God' is the ultimate taste test
Dancing With the Stars' Emma Slater Files for Divorce from Sasha Farber
'Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3' overloads on action and sentiment
FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
Black History Month: 7 Favorites From Reisfields New York’s Stunning Design Lab
That '90s Show Star Ashley Aufderheide Keeps These $4 Eye Masks in Her Bag
Marriage and politics are tough negotiations in 'The Diplomat'