Harrison Butker slams Serena Williams’ mockery of him at ESPY Awards

"I thought Mrs. Williams was a great host and applaud her for using her platform to express her beliefs on a variety of topics. Sports are supposed to be the great unifier,” Butker told NBC Sports.

He continued, “and at an event dedicated to celebrating a diverse group of men and women who have accomplished great feats, she used it as an opportunity to disinvite those with whom she disagrees with from supporting fellow athletes.”

Williams, along with her sister Venus and actress Quinta Brunson, were on stage during the award show when Venus urged the crowd to enjoy women’s sports "like you would any other sports because they are sports." Serena then added, "Except you, Harrison Butker, we don’t need you." Brunson chimed in, saying, "at all… like ever." The audience responded by laughing and applauding the ridicule of Butker.

Butker, who was in the audience at the time, has been the target of criticism from feminists and left-wing activists after delivering a commencement speech at Benedictine College, a Catholic institution.

In his speech, Butker emphasized the importance of traditional Catholic values regarding gender roles, particularly the role of women as mothers. Many left-wing activists and pundits were critical of his speech, in which he credited his wife with many of his accomplishments.

“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,” Butker said in his commencement speech, addressing the female graduates in attendance.

“I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother,” he added. Butker became visually emotional as he addressed the audience in his speech as he credited his wife for his accomplishments.