Prince Harry came under fire this week from the mother of late NFL star and war hero Pat Tillman.
Mary Tillman made her comments in response to news that ESPN plans to honor Harry at this year’s event. ESPY Awards with the humanitarian award that bears his son’s name.
Pat Tillman was killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2004.
“I am shocked as to why they chose such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award,” Mary told Daily Mail this week.
“There are recipients who are much more suitable,” he added.
“There are individuals working in the veterans community who are doing tremendous things to help veterans.”
Prince Harry faces backlash ahead of 2024 ESPY Awards
For those unfamiliar with his story, Pat Tillman was a star safety for the Arizona Cardinals who joined the US Army Rangers in response to the September 11 attacks.
After giving up his multimillion-dollar salary, Tillman served several combat tours before being killed by friendly fire in the mountains of Afghanistan.
In the years since his tragic death, Tillman’s name has become synonymous with service and sacrifice.
And many believe that Prince Harry did not deserve the right to be mentioned alongside him.
Prince Harry receives criticism from ESPN anchor
Mary Tillman is not alone in her criticism of the decision to award the prize to Harry.
Controversial ESPN commentator Pat McAfee repeated his comments during his last appearance on the network.
“It goes to Prince Harry, who I don’t even think is a prince anymore, right? He said not to call me that?” McAfee said on his show.
“See, why do the ESPYs do this sh–t? This is actually the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” he added.
ESPN’s decision appears to be a result of Harry’s work with the Invictus Games.
He was a co-founder of athletic competition for wounded veterans in 2014.
Several media outlets have reached out to Harry’s camp, but the Duke of Sussex has so far declined to comment on the situation.
The 2024 ESPY Awards will take place on July 11, with Serena Williams serving as host.
The guest list is meticulously selected, so Harry is unlikely to hear any boos when he accepts his award.
But the moment is likely to generate some controversy on social media.