Harrison Butker is speaking out about a panel of drag queens allegedly “mocking” the Last Supper at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“This is crazy,” the Kansas City Chiefs kicker, 29, captioned a screenshot via his Instagram Story on Friday, July 26, before quoting the bible. He also posted a 20-second clip of the moment via X, sharing a snippet of the bible verse he was quoting: “God is not mocked.”
In the clip, the camera focused on a performer in the center of a long table before it panned out, showing more performers in positions that some compared to the depiction of the Last Supper.
Butker received tons of support in the comment section of his post on X, with many followers writing, “Amen.” However, some social media users were divided over his remarks, like one who quoted a verse about not judging others.
The NFL player’s commentary on the Paris Olympics moment comes two months after he made headlines for the controversial remarks he made during his graduation speech at Benedictine College in May. During his address, he singled out women graduating from the Catholic liberal arts college by saying, “It is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you.”
“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?” he said. “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.”
Referring to his wife, Isabelle Butker, the three-time Super Bowl champion added, “I’m beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith and become my wife and embrace one of the most important titles of all — homemaker.”
Social media users, celebrities and even Harrison’s teammates reacted to his speech, in which he also slammed LGBTQIA+ rights, IVF and surrogacy as family planning methods. Additionally, he quoted outspoken feminist Taylor Swift, referring to her only as “my teammate’s girlfriend.” (Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and 14-time Grammy Award winner, 34, have been dating since summer 2023.)
He broke his silence on the matter during the Regina Caeli Academy Courage Under Fire Gala, in which he doubled down on his beliefs and stood by his statements.
“It is now, over the past few days, my beliefs or what people think I believe have been the focus of countless discussions around the globe,” he said. “At the outset, many people expressed a shocking level of hate. But as the days went on, even those who disagreed with my viewpoints shared their support for my freedom of religion.”
He added, “It’s a decision I’ve consciously made and one I do not regret at all.”
The 2024 Paris Olympics run from Friday, July 26 to Sunday, August 11.