Patricia Heaton became the new Kansas City Chiefs fan with a subtle sign of support for kicker Harrison Butker.
Last week, Butker came under fire for a commencement speech she gave at Benedictine College that covered a variety of topics, including abortion, comments on women's choices, COVID and President Biden.
“I don't understand why everyone's panties are in a twist. He gave a graduation speech,” Heaton said in an Instagram video shared Sunday. “The audience applauded twice during the speech and gave him a standing ovation at the end, so they clearly enjoyed what he was saying.
“The guy is espousing his own opinions and Catholic doctrine, um, so what? It's his opinion. He can have one. It's allowed. He's not a monster for saying what he believes.”
HARRISON BUTKER'S FAITH-DRIVEN COMMENCEMENT SPEECH AT BENEDICTINE COLLEGE: READ SPEECH HERE
Patricia Heaton showed her support for Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker after critics criticized his faith-focused graduation speech. (Getty Images)
She noted: “He went after bishops a lot more than he went after women, or what women's options are or what he thinks they should be, so I don't understand it.”
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Butker's speech sparked outrage for several reasons, but a paragraph in which she called out the female graduates in the class and asked them to embrace their “calling” as a “homemaker” seemed to strike a chord with many.
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“I'm a Catholic woman who worked throughout my children's childhood and I believe God opened those doors for me,” Heaton said. “And fortunately, it was a schedule that allowed me to basically be a full-time mom as well.
“I don't find anything offensive in what he said, even though my life is very different, and I could even look at my life and say that's not how it should be. That's fine. That's his opinion.”
Heaton said Butker is “not a monster” for having his own opinions. (Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic)
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The “Everybody Loves Raymond” star noted: “God has used my life, so I'm curious why people get offended. If you've made decisions in your life and you feel like they're the right ones, and they're comfortable and they work for you you and your family: fantastic.”
Heaton signed off by saying: “And if they're different from his, great. You do it and he'll do it with him and his family. Relax, everyone.”
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker made headlines for his comments in the “housewife” graduation speech. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
One part of Butker's speech that drew a lot of attention was a call for women in the class to embrace the “most important title of all: housewife.”
PATRICIA HEATON, 64, NUMBER OF ACHIEVEMENTS IN RESPONSE TO DON LEMON'S 'PRIME' COMMENTS ABOUT WOMEN OVER 50
“To the ladies here today, congratulations on an amazing achievement. You should be proud of everything you have accomplished to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly, because I believe it is you, the women, who have had told the most diabolical lies: how many of you are sitting here now about to walk across the stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career,” he said.
Butker's speech at Benedictine College on May 11 focused on traditional family values, attracting attention with his proclamations of conservative politics and Catholicism. (AP Photo)
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“Some of you may go on to have successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that most of you are more excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world. I can tell you that my beautiful wife Isabelle would be the first to say that her life really began when she began to live her vocation as a wife and mother.
He continued: “Today I stand on this stage and I can be the man I am because I have a wife who supports her calling. I am beyond blessed with the many talents that God has given me. But it cannot be overstated. “May all my success is possible because a girl I met in high school band class converted to the faith, became my wife, and adopted one of the most important titles of all: housewife.”
