Outspoken left-wing celebrities such as Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana have come to the defense of Chris Pratt after the actor opted out of a fundraising event for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Reports of Pratt’s forthcoming absence at the Tuesday event for Democrats sparked hate from leftist on Twitter. The “Avengers” star was ridiculed for being openly Christian, accused of radiating “homophobic white Christian supremacist energy,” and ripped for allegedly secretly supporting President Donald Trump, though Pratt has never publicly backed any candidate.
Mark Ruffalo defended Pratt, whom he said “is just not overtly political as a rule.”
“You all, [Chris Pratt] is as solid a man there is. I know him personally, and instead of casting aspersions, look at how he lives his life,” wrote Ruffalo. “He is just not overtly political as a rule. This is a distraction. Let’s keep our eyes on the prize, friends. We are so close now.”
You all, @prattprattpratt is as solid a man there is. I know him personally, and instead of casting aspersions, look at how he lives his life. He is just not overtly political as a rule. This is a distraction. Let’s keep our eyes on the prize, friends. We are so close now.
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) October 20, 2020
“No matter how hard it gets, stick your chest out, keep your head up and handle it. -Tupac,” quoted actress Zoe Saldana. “You got this [Chris Pratt]. Your family, friends, colleagues & everyone who’s ever crossed paths with you knows your heart and your worth!”
No matter how hard it gets, stick your chest out, keep your head up and handle it.
-Tupac
You got this @prattprattpratt . Your family, friends, colleagues & everyone who’s ever crossed paths with you knows your heart and your worth!— Zoe Saldana (@zoesaldana) October 21, 2020
“Seconded,” actor Josh Gad echoed Ruffalo. “They don’t get better than [Chris Pratt].”
Seconded. They don’t get better than @prattprattpratt https://t.co/Fb7TuYuByf
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) October 20, 2020
“Sorry. Just finding out about this nonsense. [Chris Pratt] is the best dude in the world,” said James Gunn. “I’ve spent hours & hours sharing my deepest truths with this man, as he has with me. Please stop assuming what he believes, politically or in any other way, because he’s a Christian.”
Sorry. Just finding out about this nonsense. @prattprattpratt is the best dude in the world. I’ve spent hours & hours sharing my deepest truths with this man, as he has with me. Please stop assuming what he believes, politically or in any other way, because he’s a Christian. https://t.co/XSIgU9WemX
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 20, 2020
As noted by The Daily Wire on Tuesday, actor Robert Downey Jr. defended Pratt, too.
“What a world… The ‘sinless’ are casting stones at my brother, Chris Pratt… A real Christian who lives by principle, has never demonstrated anything but positivity and gratitude,” Downey said in an Instagram post.
“AND he just married into a family that makes space for civil discourse and (just plain fact) INSISTS on service as the highest value,” he continued.
“If you take issue with Chris,,, I’ve got a novel idea,” concluded Downey. “Delete your social media accounts, sit with your OWN defects of character, work on THEM, then celebrate your humanness… @PrattPrattPratt I #gotyerbackbackback.”
Pratt broke ranks with fellow “Avengers” actors and opted out of the pro-Biden event set for Tuesday, called the “Voters Assemble: The Cast of The Avengers Unite for Democracy.”
“On Tuesday, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Rudd, Don Cheadle, and Zoe Saldana will participate in a fundraising event to support Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, California Senator Kamala Harris,” Vanity Fair reported.
“Yet while there was broad interest in the latest star-studded push for the Biden campaign, it’s the absence of one key Avengers star that has caused the biggest stir on social media,” the outlet noted. “Shortly after the event was announced, Chris Pratt’s name trended on Twitter, with many criticizing the Guardians of the Galaxy star for his perceived political views.”
Back in 2017, Pratt told Men’s Fitness, “I don’t feel represented by either side. I really feel there’s common ground out there that’s missed because we focus on the things that separate us.”
In past years, Pratt has been criticized for attending a Christian church and wearing a T-shirt from a veteran-owned clothing company that featured a Revolution-era Gadsden flag.