Jason Kelce defends wife Kylie against ‘homemaker’ comments

‘Our marriage is a partnership, we are equals who are figuring it out on the daily,’ the former NFL star writes

As an event consultant and mother-of-three, Kylie Kelce is much more than the keeper of the household, just ask her husband, NFL icon Jason Kelce.

In response to recent criticisms aimed at his wife, the former Philadelphia Eagles took to X, formerly known as Twitter, defending her honor and their marriage with a firm message. “I don’t think of Kylie as a homemaker, I think of her as my wife. I think of her as a mother,” he stated in a 27 May post.

“She has an occupation, as do I, and we keep our house the best we can. Our marriage is a partnership, we are equals who are figuring it out on the daily,” he continued. “The only expectation is that we love each other, support one another, and are committed to our family, that comes first. We both raise our kids, we both work, We both keep our home.”

On 26 May, Kylie was the target of one internet sleuth’s crude comment, labeling her an inadequate “homemaker”. The blunt X user felt inclined to verbally attack Kylie after she publicly denounced Harrison Butker’s controversial Benedictine College commencement speech, arguing stay-at-home mothers should be celebrated more for their commitment and achievements rather than women in the workforce.

“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. Seems you’re a bit hypocritical. Y’all are going to be left with nothing but swifties. You just ruined your gig. It’s a shame,” the online user wrote.

Jason quickly shut down the judgment, adding that when their house is “messy” it’s not his wife’s fault. “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,” the professional athlete said.

While the 36-year-old father doesn’t consider Kylie the “homemaker”, he acknowledged that some families prefer a dynamic where one person is responsible for the house upkeep.

The now-retired NFL player addressed Butker’s 11 May comments with his brother Travis on their podcast, New Heights.

“A lot of the things he said in his commencement speech are not things that I align myself with, but he was giving a commencement speech at a Catholic university and – shocker – it ended up being a very religious and Catholic speech,” Jason noted to Travis, one of Butker’s teammates on the Kansas City Chiefs. Meanwhile, Travis admitted he didn’t agree with “just about any” of Butker’s points.

Fourteen days after Butker, 28, gave his graduation speech, the football kicker spoke out to support the message he delivered.

During Nashville’s “Courage Under Fire” event, Butker said: “If it wasn’t clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now.

“Over the past few days, my beliefs, or what people think I believe, have been the focus of countless discussions around the globe,” he added. “At the outset, many people expressed a shocking level of hate. But as the days went on, even those who disagreed with my viewpoints shared their support for my freedom of religion.

“Our love for Jesus and thus our desire to speak out should never be outweighed by the longing of our fallen nature to be loved by the world.”

Apart from Butker’s shared thoughts on a woman’s role in the household, the young competitor characterized Pride Month as a “deadly sin” to Benedictine’s graduating class of 2024 and their families.