#RipChrisPratt / Chris Pratt Church Controversy

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Note: this entry contains an uncensored racial slur; discretion advised.

About

#RipChrisPratt refers to a viral debate surrounding Hollywood actor Chris Pratt that started with an allegation of Pratt being a supporter of the former US President Donald Trump, which has not been confirmed, and a false allegation that the actor belongs to a church that is vocally anti-LGBTQ+, with these rumors going first viral in October 2020. In February 2021, hashtag #RipChrisPratt went viral on Twitter after a user posted a photoshopped tweet.

Origin

On October 17th, 2020, film director and screenwriter Amy Berg posted^[1] photographs of Hollywood actors Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Chris Pine and Chris Evans, writing "One has to go," with the tweet gaining over 1,100 retweets and 10,400 likes in four months. On the same day, Twitter^[2] user @DrChaeEd quote retweeted the tweet, writing "Chris Pratt because he’s MAGA. He’s the worst Chris." The tweet gained over 18,400 retweets and 145,700 likes (shown below, right). However, Pratt has never discussed his political views.^[7] In his 2017 interview^[8] with Men's Fitness, Pratt said that he "didn't feel represented by either side."

Additionally, several tweets^[3] were made in which users accused Chris Pratt of belonging to a church that was anti-LGBTQ (example shown below). The tweet referenced allegations^[4]^[5] made by actor Elliot Page in February 2019, when he accused Pratt of attending an "infamously anti-LGBTQ church," implying that Pratt attended Hillsong Church, executives of which received backlash in 2015 after making homophobic remarks and calling homosexuality a sin. Pratt, however, attends Zoe Church^[6] and not Hillsong.

Following the viral spread of the thread, more tweets containing allegations of Chris Pratt being anti-LGBTQ and a supporter of Donald Trump went viral in mid-October 2020. For example, on October 18th, 2020, Twitter^[9] user @mmpadellan posted a tweet that received over 5,100 retweets and 58,300 likes.

On February 3rd, 2021, Twitter^[10] user @CATGRLISM posted a tweet containing two 2012 tweets by Chris Pratt, as well as a photoshopped tweet containing the N-word. The tweet received over 1,300 retweets and 10,300 likes in one day (shown below). The tweet also included the hashtag "#ripchrispratt."

Spread

Following @CATGRLISM's tweet, hashtag #ripchrispratt gained viral spread on Twitter, with users using the hashtag to make posts in which they expressed their preferences for Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth over Pratt, and to criticize and ridicule Pratt. For example, on February 3rd, 2021, Twitter^[11] user @mandaloriain made a post that received over 1,100 retweets and 12,900 likes (shown below).