A complete list of celebrities who support Harrison Butker

More than two weeks have passed since Harrison Butker gave a controversial commencement speech at Benedictine University in Kansas, but the football star continues to stir up debate online.

The 28-year-old kicker came under fire for comments he made about abortion, fertility treatments, gender roles and the LGBTQ+ community during a speech he gave at the Catholic liberal arts college on May 11.

A petition calling for Butker's firing from the Kansas City Chiefs has garnered more than 225,000 signatures. Despite criticism, Butker has several high-profile allies and the speech appears to have boosted the three-time Super Bowl champion's social media following.

The full list of celebrities who have voiced their support for Mr Bhatkar is below:

Patrick Mahomes

During a training session on Wednesday, the quarterback defended his Chiefs teammates while saying he has a different opinion than him on some issues.

“I don't necessarily agree with some of the things he says, but I understand who he is and he tries to do whatever he can to steer people in the right direction,” the three-time MVP said. Athletic Nate Taylor.

“Those may not be the same as my values, but at the same time, I'm going to judge him on the character that he displays every day. He's a great guy and we're going to continue to move forward and lift each other up and try to be better every day.”

Andy Reid

The Chiefs head coach echoed Mahomes' comments, telling reporters on Wednesday, “We respect each other's opinions. We have a right to have our say.”

“We all come from different places, different religions, different races, so we all get along and we all respect each other's opinions,” the 66-year-old says. “That's the great thing about America.”

Reid added that he didn't believe Butker was “saying bad things about women,” but “he has an opinion and we all respect that.”

Whoopi Goldberg

In the May 16 episode sceneryThe Oscar winner argued that Butker has the right to express his beliefs, even if they are controversial.

The 68-year-old actor stressed the importance of protecting free speech, comparing Butker's situation to that of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who faced criticism in 2016 for kneeling during the national anthem.

“I like it when people say what they have to say,” Goldberg said. “He went to a Catholic college and is a devout Catholic. This is what he believes and I welcome it. I don't have to believe it or accept it.”

of Ghost The star also slammed calls for Butker to be removed from the Chiefs team.

“To tell someone, 'I don't like what you're saying, you disagree with me, so I'm going to take your job away,' is a problem for me,” Goldberg continued.

“Because it happens to us. It happens to us all the time. That's why I stand up for him.”

Patricia Heaton

In a video posted to Instagram on Sunday, Everybody loves Raymond “I don't understand why people are so upset” about Butker's graduation speech, Starr said.

The 66-year-old actress urged critics to “calm down” and highlighted how the audience applauded and gave Butker a standing ovation, suggesting that his comments were well received by the audience.

Heaton, a Catholic and working mother, said Butker had a right to express his opinion, telling worshippers: “He's not a monster for expressing his beliefs.”

In her speech, Ms Butker expressed her belief that a woman's “most important title” should be “homemaker” rather than workplace, and told the female graduates that this was “the greatest lie” they had ever been told.

“My life is completely different than mine, but I take no offense to what he's saying,” Heaton continued. “You do your thing and he'll do his.”

Tomi Lahren

Lahren criticized the backlash against Butker and defended Kicker on Twitter.

In a post shared on May 16, the Outkick host slammed the “woke vultures of cancel culture” and told Butker's critics to “ignore them.”

“You guys blather on about 'inclusion' but you're trying to exclude everyone who doesn't follow your pronoun and pride mafia drivel,” a conservative commentator wrote. Butker was also criticized for describing the celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month as a “mortal sin.”

Bill Maher

In a recent episode Bill Maher in Real TimeThe comedian expressed his confusion at the outrage directed at Mr Butker.

Maher said he and the Chiefs kicker have differences of opinion, but told the crowd, “I don't know what the bigger sin is.”

“I can't put into words how different this man is from me,” said the 68-year-old. “He's religious. He loves his marriage. He loves his children. … And now he's the biggest monster in history?”

Maher said the backlash against Butker is indicative of a broader cultural problem in which certain views are increasingly marginalized.

“There are a lot of people like that in this country,” the Emmy winner continued, “and what he's saying is that while some of you may have successful careers, many of you are excited about doing things differently than everyone else used to. And now, can that be an option too?”

Lou Holtz

The former Notre Dame football coach appeared on Fox & Friends on Tuesday and praised Butker for his comments.

Holtz, a devout Christian, called Butker's speech “courageous.”

“He wasn't talking to an abortion clinic, he was talking to a Catholic university,” he told hosts Will Cain, Rachel Campos Duffy and Pete Hegseth.

The 87-year-old, a former commencement speaker at Benedictine University, said he “completely agrees” with Butker's views on gender roles.

“thank you [Harrison Butker] “I want to thank you for being so strong in the values ​​of your faith,” Holtz said. “Your Benedictine University commencement speech shows courage and conviction that I admire. Never give in.”

Sage Steele

In a video posted to YouTube on Monday, the former ESPN anchor said he was “saddened” by the backlash against Butker.

The 51-year-old stressed the importance of “diversity of thought” and said that while she didn't agree with everything Butker said, she found parts of his speech beautiful, particularly his praise for women who choose to be housewives.

Steele, a Catholic mother of three, called raising children her “greatest accomplishment” and slammed the NFL's statement in response to the backlash. After Butker's speech, the league said his views “do not represent those of the NFL” and that the NFL is “unwavering in its commitment to inclusion.”

“As a woman, how wonderful is it to have your spouse praise you and thank you,” Steele said. “The negativity that surrounds him just makes me sad.”