Chris Pratt has finally responded to the criticism he received for his Instagram ode last year to his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger.

Though he was silent about it back then, the “Jurassic World Dominion” actor admitted in a new interview with Men’s Health magazine that the backlash to his post “really f— bothered” him.

In November 2021, Pratt shared a photo of Schwarzenegger beaming at him and penned a lovey-dovey caption praising her for everything she’s “given” him — including their “healthy” newborn daughter, Lyla.

Many perceived the remark about their baby’s health as an insult to his ex-wife, Anna Faris, and their 9-year-old son, Jack. According to Faris, Jack was born prematurely with severe brain bleeding and spent the first month of his life in intensive care.

“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 thankful for my wife — she gave me a beautiful, healthy daughter,’” Pratt recalled in his Men’s Health profile, which came out Tuesday.

“And then a bunch of articles came out and said, ‘That’s so cringeworthy. I can’t believe Chris Pratt would thank her for a healthy daughter when his first child was born premature. That’s such a dig at his ex-wife.’”

In Pratt’s opinion, the discourse surrounding the Instagram post was “f— up.” He expressed concerns that his son would “read that one day” because it’s “etched in digital stone.”

“I cried about it,” Pratt told the fitness magazine. “I hate that these blessings in my life are — to the people close to me — a real burden.”

Pratt — a blockbuster movie star who undoubtedly has been through extensive media training — proceeded to joke that his “publicist would be like, ‘I’m sweating Chris, I’m sweating,’” if they knew he had waded into the controversy.

In addition to his Instagram PDA, Pratt has come under fire for his alleged religious beliefs and ties. About three years ago, actor Elliot Page called out the “Guardians of the Galaxy” performer on Twitter for attending an “infamously anti lgbtq” church, referring to Los Angeles’ Hillsong Church.

At the time, Pratt rejected Page’s accusation and claimed to belong to a church “that opens their doors to absolutely everyone … regardless of sexual orientation, race or gender.”

He did not, however, explicitly deny the connection to Hillsong, whose founder, Brian Houston, wrote in a 2015 blog post that the church does “not affirm a gay lifestyle.” According to Insider, Pratt is a member of L.A.’s Zoe Church, which is modeled after Hillsong.

“I never went to Hillsong,” Pratt told Men’s Health. “I’ve never actually been to Hillsong. I don’t know anyone from that church.”

Reflecting on his pious reputation, Pratt mused that he has recently “become the face of religion” in Hollywood while insisting that he’s not really “a religious person.”

“Religion has been oppressive as f— for a long time,” he said. “I think there’s a distinction between being religious — adhering to the customs created by man, oftentimes appropriating the awe reserved for who I believe is a very real God — and using it to control people, to take money from people, to abuse children, to steal land, to justify hatred.

“Whatever it is. The evil that’s in the heart of every single man has glommed on to the back of religion and come along for the ride.”

Source: www.latimes.com