Chris Pratt has first responded to the online backlash he received over a previous comment he made about his wife and oldest daughter.
In November, Pratt had posted a photo of himself and his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger on Instagramgushing about their relationship in the caption, thanking Schwarzenegger for, among other things, giving him “a beautiful healthy daughter,” referring to their first child together, Lyla.
Social media users attacked, criticizing Pratt’s choice of words and suggesting that he purposely compared Lyla to his oldest child, Jack, who he shares with ex-wife Anna Faris.
Jack was and has had health problems all his life.
In a new interview with Men’s healthPratt discussed how he felt about those reactions.
“I said something like, ‘Find someone who looks at you the way my wife looks at me.’ And then I gave her some s— in the thing and said, “But I love you. I’m so grateful for my wife — she gave me a beautiful, healthy daughter,” Pratt said. “And then a lot of articles came out and said, ‘That’s so terrible. I can’t believe Chris Pratt would thank her for a healthy daughter when his first child was born prematurely. That’s one of those digs with his ex-wife.’ †
The ‘Jurassic World’ star said he was hurt by the claims and worried that his son would one day see them too.
“And I’m like, damn it. My son will read that one day. He’s nine. And it’s etched in digital stone,” he said. “It really bothered me dude. I cried about it. I was like, I hate that these blessings in my life – for the people close to me – are a real burden”
Pratt also addressed critics who have questioned his religious background.
“I didn’t know I was going to be the face of religion, when I’m actually not a religious person,” he said.
“I think there’s a distinction between being religious — holding on to the habits created by man, often usurping the awe that’s reserved for who I believe is a very real God — and using it to to control, to take money from people, to abuse children, to steal land, to justify hatred,” he continued.
Pratt denied a claim made on numerous occasions, linking him to the Hillsong Church, which some accused of having an anti-LGBTQ agenda. Pratt has previously denied involvement in the church, and Hillsong founder Brian Houston mentioned in the past that Pratt was never a member.
“I’ve never been to Hillsong,” Pratt told the outlet. “I don’t know anyone from that church.”
Pratt’s friend and director of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” series, James Gunn, elaborated on the claims about Pratt elsewhere in the interview.
“It absolutely infuriates me,” he said. “Chris is unspeakably kind to people; he goes out of his way to help children. He is a very loving father. And there are many things that people have literally made up about him — about his politics, about who he is, about what he believes in other people, you know?”
Director Colin Trevorrow, who worked with Pratt on the first and third “Jurassic World” films, also defended the actor. “I don’t know why we treat each other like that,” he said.