Kansas City Chiefs heiress Gracie Hunt defends Harrison Butker's commencement speech

Kansas City Chiefs heiress Gracie Hunt has defended Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech.

The NFL kicker has come under fire for comments he made at Benedictine College where he referred to Pride month as a 'deadly sin' and suggested a woman's life doesn't truly begin until motherhood.

Hunt, 25, came forward to defend the Super Bowl winner against the allegations of sexism and homophobia.

'I can only speak from my own experience which is I have had the most incredible mom who had the ability to stay home and be with us,' Hunt told Fox & Friends.

'I understand there are many women out there who can't make that decision, but for me and my life I know it was really formative in shaping me and my siblings in who we are.'

Kansas City Chiefs heiress Gracie Hunt has defended Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech

Butker came under fire for comments he made at Benedictine College where he referred to Pride month as a 'deadly sin' and suggested a woman's life doesn't truly begin until motherhood

She agreed that she 'for sure' understood the points Butker was making.

'I really respect Harrison and his Christian faith and what he has accomplished on and off the field,' Hunt added. 

Hunt is one of three children shared by Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt and his wife, former model Tavia Hunt.

She is the middle child between older brother Knobel Hunt and younger sister Ava Hunt.

Her comments echo those of her mom, who also came out in support of Butker in a post on Instagram.

Hunt, 25, said she identified with Butker's comments around women's role as mothers

The heiress (pictured with her mom center and sister left) said her stay-at-home mom helped shape her and her siblings 

'Affirming motherhood and praising your wife, as well as highlighting the sacrifice and dedication it takes to be a mother, is not bigoted,' Tavia wrote.

 'It is empowering to acknowledge that a woman's hard work in raising children is not in vain.'

However she acknowledged that she, 'always encouraged my daughters to be highly educated and chase their dreams'.

But Hunt said she respects the Super Bowl winner's Christian faith as well as all he has achieved on and off the field

The heiress is the second eldest child of KC Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt. Pictured: With his wife and daughter at the NFL Honors Red Capet in Las Vegas February 8th 2024

Butker sparked a frenzy with the remarks at the Catholic private liberal arts school in Atchison, Kansas last week.

'I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you,' he said, before suggesting the female graduates were 'most excited' about getting married and having kids, rather than pursuing a career.

'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,' he went on.

'Isabelle's dream of having a career might not have come true. But if you ask her today, if she has any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud without hesitation and say, 'heck no.''

In an ironic twist, it later emerged Butker was raised by an accomplished career woman, who he did not mention in his speech.

Butker's mom is Elizabeth Keller Butker - a physicist working at Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta, according to her LinkedIn.

She holds several academic accolades, including a degree in chemistry from Smith College, a private women's liberal arts school in Massachusetts.

The mother-of-two went on to earn her master's degree in medical physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology before joining Emory in 1988, where she specializes in brachytherapy and Gamma Knife medical physics care.

Hunt's comments echoed those of her mom Tavia Hunt, who wrote a post stating that 'affirming motherhood' is not bigoted

The Hunt family (L-R) Knobel, Clark, Ava, Tavia and Gracie in an undated family photo

Butker also took aim at Biden’s policies, including his condemnation of the Supreme Court’s reversal of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and advocacy for freedom of choice — a key campaign issue in the 2024 presidential race.

Biden, who is Catholic, has a fraught history on the issue. He initially opposed the Roe v. Wade decision, saying it went too far. 

He also opposed federal funding for abortions and supported restrictions on abortions later in pregnancy.

The NFL went on to release its own statement following the 20-minute address.

'Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity,' NFL senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer Jonathan Beane said in a statement. 

'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.'