UPDATE: Co-founder of Brain Treatment Foundation Kara Williams told The Daily Wire via email that the shirt Pratt was photographed wearing does not belong to the organization, but to veteran-owned clothing company Forged. “The shirt he has on in that picture is NOT our shirt. It is a Forged shirt. We were simply showing one of our shirts that uses the same inspiration from the Gadsden flag to represent our veteran program and demonstrate support for general patriotism that the flag represents,” she said.
Brain Treatment Foundation addressed any confusion and their dedication to veterans in a lengthy Facebook post on Friday morning:
We would like to address any confusion regarding the T-shirt Chris is wearing in the photo we posted regarding the Gadsden Flag. We are happy that this brought attention to brain injuries, a serious health issue that plagues many of America’s veterans. However, we will delay the sale of any of our BTF T-shirts benefiting our mission in order to make sure the facts are well circulated and people have a clear understanding that the exact shirt Chris was wearing in the circulated photo can be purchased at Forged Clothing, as they were the official creator of the shirt.
Forged is a for-profit veteran owned clothing company, a company we have no affiliation with, past or presently. The back of their T-shirt says nothing about brain health and we regret that it was interpreted that way by media outlets or the public.
The T-shirt on the left, is a Brain Treatment Foundation T-shirt created several years ago representing our veteran program. For the past several years, we have used the Gadsden Flag as inspiration to create images for T-shirts that are worn by our veterans and supporters of our veteran program, the most recent T-shirt being artwork nodding the Gadsden Flag that was sold at our 2018 & 2019 fundraising event, Boot Shoot.
Chris has supported BTF since 2015. The image we posted on July 16th with two images was not meant to sell T-shirts, or promote visibility through Chris, but to speak truth about what the flag represents and demonstrate solidarity in defending the true meaning of the flag and the patriotic intent. We wanted to let people know that we work with hundreds of veterans and they are all proud to wear that shirt, in an attempt to support Chris and demonstrate an example of what we believe the flag to represent, respect for the sacrifices of those who defend our country, not a race/ethnic issue. Our intention was to show support for one of the few celebrities that so openly support the sacrifices that the members of our military choose to make for our freedom, regardless of the political atmosphere.
We sincerely apologize to Forged for not recognizing them as the creator of the shirt Chris was wearing in the photo, which was used in the article that disparaged the motives of wearing that T-shirt. The exact T-shirt Chris was wearing in that photo can be purchased at Forged.com and we will truly regret that our lack of acknowledgement led media outlets to interpret the shirt as our own and not give the deserved credit and attention to Forged or divert T-shirt sales from their company.
Original post below:
As reported by The Daily Wire on Tuesday, Marvel star Chris Pratt was outrageously criticized by some on the Left as a “white supremacist” for wearing a pro-America t-shirt. The shirt Pratt was photographed in, as seen below, is basically a version of the Revolution-era Gadsden flag and has no ties to race, making the attacks absurd.
But it gets worse. The T-shirt is apparently from a pro-veteran nonprofit called the Brain Treatment Foundation, an organization Pratt has publicly supported in the past.
On Facebook, Brain Treatment Foundation posted a photo of Pratt in the T-shirt and said that they were “honored” by the support.
“We are honored to work with the silent warriors who sacrifice greatly so that others may live free, who defend our freedom, who live with honor and by the word of God. These warriors hunt evil to protect our peace, while those who disparage their sacrifices and our nation from behind a computer screen, pretend it doesn’t exist,” the organization said. “We are proud of the American flag and all symbols that represent the freedom brave men and women have shed blood for since the inception of our great country.”
Nicole Fisher, who is on the board of the nonprofit, similarly posted to Twitter: “We are honored to work with the silent warriors who sacrifice greatly so that others may live. [Brain Treatment Foundation] is there for any #veteran suffering the consequences of war. And we’re honored Chris supports [Brain Treatment Foundation]. #SupportChrisPratt.”
In another tweet, Fisher suggested her organization was receiving hate mail over the controversy.
“Woke up to > 5,000 notes today informing me I’m a white supremacist,” she wrote. “How’s your day going so far?”
“It’s a shame that this situation occurred and a lot of misinformation was spread by people we don’t know, but it’s an opportunity for people to learn about veterans mental health and ways we can support those who fight for this country when they come home from war,” Fisher told The Daily Wire in a statement.
“We don’t advertise because we prefer to stay behind the scenes. But we have some of the T-shirt’s and hats that Chris has worn in Instagram pictures since 2016,” Fisher added, noting that the organization might sell the apparel “to raise money for veterans.”
According to Brain Treatment Foundation’s website, the organization “is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support for brain health initiatives relating to treatment, rehabilitation, research and public education. The organization seeks to transform the lives of individuals suffering from the effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury or Concussion, children with mild to severe cognitive or neurological disorders, the elderly population dealing with physical and cognitive function decline and members of the military diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress or a Traumatic Brain Injury.”
“The goal of Brain Treatment Foundation is to partner with treatment providers and other organizations to restore hope and provide support for people suffering from brain related health issues and their families,” the site adds. “Through treatment, rehabilitation, research, and public education, Brain Treatment Foundation seeks to become an active agent of change in the world of brain health.”
In January, Brain Treatment Foundation thanked Mr. Pratt via Instagram for his support.
“Thank you [Chris Pratt] for sporting your [Brain Treatment Foundation]. We love your new [Chevrolet] & hope the move went well!! Thank you for all of your continued support. We so lucky to have you in the #[Brain Treatment Foundation] family!!!”
In the video, Pratt is wearing a hat from the nonprofit.
Related: Chris Pratt Criticized For Wearing ‘White Supremacist’ T-Shirt. It’s Not. Not Even Close.