Chris Pratt's Political Quagmire: Social Media Evisceration After RFK Jr. Support
Chris Pratt Stirs Up Another Political Storm, This Time with His Support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
It seems like Chris Pratt just can't catch a break when it comes to politics. The Guardians of the Galaxy star has once again found himself at the center of a heated controversy, and this time, the internet is not letting him off scot-free.
During an appearance on Bill Maher's Club Random podcast, Pratt publicly defended his extended family member, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which sparked outrage among critics online. While Pratt attempted to frame his remarks as a call for bipartisanship and reason, many saw it as an excuse for policies that harm vulnerable communities.
The backlash on X (formerly Twitter) was swift and merciless, with users tearing into the father-of-four for legitimizing Kennedy's controversial stances. One user fumed: "What a tone-deaf a**hole! There's nothing funny or wonderful about cutting cancer research funding and firing teams of experts so rich people can get richer and sick people can die." The criticism continued to trend throughout the day, with more and more users piling on to drag Pratt for his comments.
But why did Pratt feel compelled to defend Kennedy? It all comes down to family ties. Pratt is married to actress Katherine Schwarzenegger, who is a cousin by marriage to Kennedy. During the podcast, Pratt revealed that he had spent time with Kennedy and was willing to listen to his views, even if he didn't always agree with them.
"I hope there are certain things that he oversees that seem to be supported in a bipartisan way, like getting terrible, toxic stuff out of our kids' food," Pratt said. "I think that's a great thing. And so, like, just - if you just do that, that's amazing." But critics saw right through this attempt at bipartisanship, pointing out the harm caused by Kennedy's policies.
One user summed up the mood perfectly: "Policy changes rarely ever consider the actual people they hit. NIH funding cuts have already derailed graduate students' research." Another user chimed in: "Stop being mean to Chris Pratt; you don't know his politics."
But let's get real – this isn't the first time Pratt has been accused of straddling the political divide in ways that frustrate both fans and critics. Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Pratt penned an essay in his mother-in-law Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper, urging Americans to remain proud of their country regardless of the election's outcome.
"It's ok to take a moment to lick your wounds when you lose," he wrote. "Heck, go ahead and cry in the mirror." But critics saw this as vapid and noncommittal, especially given Pratt's connections to his father-in-law Arnold Schwarzenegger, who had forcefully endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris just days earlier.
Pratt's attempts to present himself as above the political fray have often backfired. In 2019, he was called out by Elliot Page for attending a church with alleged anti-LGBTQ ties. Ahead of the 2020 election, he was branded "Hollywood's Worst Chris" online for his suspected right-leaning views, sparking a wave of backlash that forced Marvel costars like Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo to come to his defense.
But this latest controversy has left many wondering if Pratt is truly out of touch with reality. In 2021, he came under fire for a social media post celebrating the birth of his "healthy" daughter with Schwarzenegger, which many took as a slight toward his son Jack, who was born prematurely with health complications.
Pratt later admitted that the backlash left him "wrecked" and fearful that his son would one day stumble across the controversy. But it seems like Pratt is still struggling to understand the harm caused by his words and actions. As one user so aptly put it: "Chris Pratt thinks he's a nice guy, but really, he's just a clueless celebrity who doesn't care about anyone but himself."
It remains to be seen how this latest controversy will affect Pratt's career, but one thing is certain – the internet is not letting him off scot-free anytime soon.
