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Former NFL star Jason Kelce had some strong words for an online critic who referred to his wife Kylie as simply a “homemaker.” The retired Philadelphia Eagles player made it clear that he views Kylie as his equal partner in their marriage and family life.

The controversy started after Jason voiced disagreement with comments made by his former teammate Harrison Butker in a controversial commencement speech earlier this month. Butker, a kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, sparked backlash for remarks seen by many as sexist and homophobic.

 

On Monday, one social media user attacked Jason’s stance, writing, “Your wife is a homemaker. But you can’t support [Butker]. And your wife is a homemaker whose home is a mess. Sorry, but it is dirty and messy on television.”

The user accused Jason of hypocrisy. Jason, who has three young daughters with Kylie, was quick to set the record straight on the dynamics of their household. “I don’t think of Kylie as a homemaker, I think of her as my wife. I think of her as a mother,” he wrote. “She has an occupation, as do I, and we keep our house the best we can.”

 

The 36-year-old emphasized that their marriage is an equal partnership. “We are equals who are figuring it out on the daily. The only expectation is that we love each other, support one another, and are committed to our family, that comes first.”

Jason explained that household responsibilities are shared, not divided along traditional gender lines. “We both raise our kids, we both work, we both keep our home. It is both our faults it is messy, but such is life with 3 young children, busy schedules, and neither of us being neat freaks.”
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He made it clear he wasn’t criticizing the choice to be a homemaker, but that it simply doesn’t reflect their family’s situation. “If being a homemaker works for some, and that’s what they want, then hell yeah, that’s awesome, more power to you. I want to be clear, I’m not downplaying that at all, but that is not our family dynamic,” as per Yahoo!

The comments stem from the recent controversy over remarks made by Butker at his alma mater Benedictine College’s graduation ceremony. In his speech, the Catholic father of six told female graduates they’d been fed “diabolical lies” about putting career over family. He claimed most women’s greatest desire is to be wives and mothers, as per Page Six.

Butker also railed against abortion, and IVF, and described Pride Month celebrations as promoting “deadly” sin, as per ABC News. His former Chiefs teammate Patrick Mahomes and many others criticized the speech as pushing an outdated, sexist worldview.

On their New Heights podcast, Jason and his brother Travis Kelce, a current Chiefs player, reacted to Butker’s speech. While disagreeing with parts of it, Jason said he valued discussions around the importance of family. However, he added, “if my daughters listen to anybody tell them what to do – that they should be homemakers – then I failed as a dad.”