Chris Pratt issued a public apology, calling himself a “hypocrite” over comments he made during an ESPN interview about UFC champion Israel Adesanya. This apology comes after Adesanya responded to the interview with a tweet calling Pratt “just some fan.” This virtual dust up comes after Pratt addressed previous scandals in a Men’s Health interview.
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Chris Pratt Sparks Ire With ESPN Comments
Chris Pratt took some heat this week over comments he made on ESPN following UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya’s bout with Jared Cannonier. The Terminal List star was on the sports network to promote his latest project when he was asked about the match, which Adesanya won.
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“I’m gonna say this as humbly as I can,” Pratt began, “as a guy who never stepped in the Octagon. I don’t know this game, I’m just an actor. But I’m not a fan, man.” In a short video taped before the fights began, Pratt had said that he was rooting for Americans across the board, including Adesanya’s opponent Cannonier.
Pratt was obviously disappointed by not only the outcome of the match, but by the lack of excitement it generated. In fact, after its conclusion, boos could be heard from the crowd, seemingly in response to the lack of big action. “I’m not a fan of coming out, all that talk and then just kind of putting on a little bit of a pitter-patter,” Pratt said. “I’m like, ‘Come on, man. Cash on that.’ You’ve got to cash on that promise of being so badass.”
Israel Adesanya’s Twitter Response
Adesanya clearly didn’t appreciate Pratt’s take on his fight. Not exactly known for his bashful personality, Adesanya shared a clip from the 2008 film Wanted starring James McAvoy. In the graphic scene, Pratt’s character is smacked in the face with a keyboard by McAvoy, leading to several keys (and teeth) flying out to spell out a rude phrase. In the caption, Adesanya wrote, “Good morning. I’m the man. You’re just some fan.”
Later that same day, Pratt responded to the tweet, writing, “You’re right. I’m sorry brutha. It bugs me when people criticize my work- having never themselves risked anything. It makes me a hypocrite to do exactly that to you. My bad. Keep on keeping on champ.” While some fans commented that they thought Pratt didn’t owe the UFC fighter an apology for just sharing his opinion, others also noted that it was a classy move to admit when you’re in the wrong.
Pratt Recently Addressed Past Controversies
This comes just a little over a week after Pratt gave an interview to Men’s Health where he admitted that some scandals he’s been accused of took a real emotional toll on him. Upon the birth of his second child, a daughter, Pratt received some criticism for praising his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger for giving birth to a “healthy” child.
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Some critics claimed he disrespected his ex-wife Anna Faris and the former couple’s son, who was born with health issues. Pratt claimed the criticism drove him to tears. He also expressed some confusion about why people considered him to be the worst Chris in Hollywood.
Pratt seems to be having a poor PR moment, but you know how that old saying goes. All publicity is good publicity, and if Pratt got his name trending, at least he did so while on a promotion tour for his new Amazon series The Terminal List, which is out now.