Photo: Getty Images
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker was criticized by a former teammate's wife for his use of Taylor Swift's lyrics during his controversial comments taking aim at working women, the LGBTQ+ community and abortion rights during a graduation ceremony at Benedictine College this past weekend.
Brooke Schwartz, the wife of former Chiefs offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz, wrote that she found "odd" that Butker "quoted Taylor Swift in his propaganda speech," which she compared to The Handmaid's Tale, the dystopian novel focused on women forcibly assigned to produce children for their commanders.
“I find it odd he quoted Taylor Swift in his propaganda speech,” Brooke wrote on her Instagram story breaking down Butker's controversial comments.
“Is he unaware of her very public views?” Brooke added on her post, which included Swift's pro-LGBTQ+ song You Need To Calm Down.
Butker, 28, referenced Swift, a billionaire musician, outspoken ally of the LGBTQ+ community and the girlfriend of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, before going on a polarizing rant.
“As my teammate’s girlfriend says, ‘Familiarity breeds contempt,'” Butker said, referencing the singer's song, Bejewled, during the controversial speech.
The NFL publicly condemned Butker's comments amid growing backlash.
“Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity,” said Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, in a written statement to PEOPLE on Wednesday (May 15). “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.”
Butker a three-time Super Bowl champion, quoted a song by Taylor Swift, the billionaire pop superstar girlfriend of teammate Travis Kelce, before taking aim at what he claimed were "diabolical lies told to women," and the LGBTQ+ community -- which Swift has publicly been an outspoken ally for -- claiming Pride Month represented "deadly sins," as well as abortion, in vitro fertilization, surrogacy, President Joe Biden and what he referred to as "the cultural emasculation of men."
"For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment," Butker said. "I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you."
“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 added.
Butker was drafted by the Carolina Panthers at No. 233 overall in the seventh-round of the 2017 NFL Draft, but was waived early in his rookie season and signed by the Chiefs off the Panthers' practice squad on September 26, 2017. The former Georgia Tech standout has emerged as one of the NFL's best kickers, kicking a game-winning field goal during Kansas City's Super Bowl LVII win against the Philadelphia Eagles, setting a career record for field goals in the Super Bowl (9) during his four appearances and making the longest field goal in Super Bowl history during the Chiefs' win against the San Francisco 49ers in February and leading the NFL in scoring during the 2019 regular season.