On Christmas, a day deemed to be one of the most cheerful of the year, TV Guidereleased an article targeting famed Hollywood actor Chris Pratt.
His rising popularity landed Pratt on their “12 Days of ‘Chris-mas” list. However, in a spinoff article titled, “How to Love Chris Pratt Without Hating Yourself,” TV Guide called him the “most divisive of the Chrises.”
Pratt is known for his roles in blockbuster hits such as “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Jurassic World.” Nevertheless, TV Guide proclaimed, “It’s impossible to ignore some problematic aspects of (Pratt’s) life off-screen.”
TV Guide noted Pratt’s treatment of animals as one of the major reasons he is believed to be “problematic,” with the magazine condemning him for being an “avid hunter.”
They also criticized Pratt for an Instagram post from earlier this year in which the actor discussed raising lambs to eat them.
“They are the happiest lambs on the planet. They are so sweet and then one day they wake up dead and they’re in my freezer,” wrote Pratt.
Furthermore, Pratt received heat from the magazine for a 2011 tweet in which he was attempting to give away his family’s cat because he and now ex-wife Anna Faris desired to start a family.
The magazine then went on to cite a Facebook post from 2015 in which Pratt “mocked outrage culture.” The post came in response to a controversy over innappropriate comments made by Marvel co-stars Jeremy Renner and Chris Evans about Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow character during an interview.
“I want to make a heartfelt apology for whatever it is I end up accidentally saying during the forthcoming #JurassicWorld press tour,” he quipped. “I hope you understand it was never my intention to offend anyone and I am truly sorry.”
Finally, TV Guide slammed Pratt for another Instagram post in which he urged followers to “turn up the volume” and not just “read the subtitles.” The post caused controversy as members of the hearing-impaired community deemed the post disrespectful. Pratt offered an apology in American Sign Language, and stated he wrote the caption “so people wouldn’t scroll past the video on mute, thus watching and digesting the information in the video.” TV Guide stated, “It appeared as if Pratt sincerely learned from his mistakes for once.”
Meanwhile, Fox News reports the article is drawing heat on social media, with some calling it a “hit piece.”
Pratt has recently been a standout within Hollywood for being open about his faith in God. In summer 2018, Pratt was presented with the Generation Award at the MTV & TV Awards. He noted in his acceptance speech that, “God is real. God loves you, God wants the best for you. Believe that, I do.” The speech garnered over 44 million views.
Pratt was also recorded reading the Nativity Story during Disney’s Candlelight service this December.