Marvel star Chris Pratt broke the silence for the first time, addressing the backlash surrounding his social media upload that made headlines last year. The actor revealed he actually cried because of the criticism he received.
In the history of films, only a few actors managed to secure both a successful TV career and big-screen appearances. And among that few gems is Chris Pratt, who is familiar to fans of the silver screen as Peter Quill/Star-Lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The American actor is definitely a late bloomer in Hollywood, as he only played supporting roles in insignificant movies and TV shows before reaching prominence from lead roles in the Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World franchises. Aside from his billion-dollar-grossing portfolio, Pratt is known as a friendly everyman with a natural sense of humor, a person who is easier to love than hate.
However, that amicable status was reverted last year, when Pratt encountered outrageous waves of criticism that left him infuriated and speechless. After nearly one year, Pratt shared his own reflection on the incident for the first time in an interview with Men's Health, where he gave details of the incident and how it made such a strong man shed his tear.
Why did Pratt receive so much social media resentment?
To answer this question, we first need to hark back to the Guardians of the Galaxy star's past relationship. After meeting on the set of the film Take Me Home Tonight in 2007, Pratt and fellow actress Anna Faris, who is famous for her portrayal of Cindy Campbell in Scary Movie, tied the knot two years later. In 2012, the couple gave birth to their son, Jack Pratt. Unfortunately, the boy was born nine weeks premature, weighing less than four pounds and having to spend his first month in the NICU. During his childhood, Jack's best friends were doctors, surgeons, and physical therapists.
After separation from Faris in 2017, Pratt walked down the aisle for the second time with Arnold Schwarzenegger's oldest daughter, Katherine. She gave birth to their first daughter, Lyla Maria, in August 2020. One year later, they welcomed the birth of their second child, Layla. Things began to take a downward spiral when Pratt posted an Instagram post, praising his wife Kate for giving him a 'gorgeous, healthy daughter'. Pratt recalled:
'I said something [on Instagram], like, ‘Find someone who looks at you the way my wife, [Katherine Schwarzenegger], looks at me.’ And then I gave her some s**t in the thing and said, ‘But I love you. I’m so thankful for my wife — she gave me a beautiful, healthy daughter.'
The 43-year-old actor immediately came under fire for the Instagram upload, with social media users accusing the post of being 'a dig at his ex-wife', Anna Faris. They thought that by 'healthy', Pratt was prioritizing Layla to his son, whose unstable conditions are the result of premature birth.
According to CNN, Pratt said:
'My son's gonna read that one day. He's nine. And it's etched in digital stone. It really f***ing bothered me, dude. I cried about it. I was like, I hate that these blessings in my life are—to the people close to me—a real burden.'
The toll of the unexpected experience left Pratt upset, depressed and crappy, according to NTNEWS.
This was not the first time Pratt became the media's target
Before the controversy over his Instagram post, Pratt once found himself a topic for criticism on Twitter. According to Variety, social media users used to troll the actor's every move after he made a controversial (again) speech at the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards. The Jurassic Park actor received the Generation Award and for his acceptance speech, he said: 'God is real. God loves you. God wants the best for you.'
The speech led to the public's misconceptions about Pratt's religious beliefs, which became intensified when Pratt was alleged to be involved with the Hillsong Church, an organization that has long been denounced as anti-LGBTQ. Transgender actor Elliot Page even made a social media post that criticized Pratt's rumored involvement. The Umbrella Academy star wrote:
'If you are a famous actor and you belong to an organization that hates a certain group of people, don’t be surprised if someone simply wonders why it’s not addressed.'
In his interview with Mens Health, Pratt reflected on the misunderstanding, claiming he'd never gone to Hillsong Church, nor had he held any wrong beliefs or objection toward the LGBTQ.
