How Chris Pratt Ruined His Reputation Beyond Repair

It's hard being in the spotlight, a fact celebrities like Chris Pratt know quite well. Whether one opens a magazine or scrolls through a streaming service looking for something to watch, Pratt's face always seems to be there. As one of the top-billed actors in Hollywood, Pratt has become no stranger to the difficult side of fame; his words and actions are intensely scrutinized, especially when headlines are involved. 

As the saying goes, nothing good lasts forever. While Pratt is still a popular actor, raking in more dough than most people have ever dreamed of acquiring, his reputation has been on a downward spiral since the early 2010s. Pratt is not only a leading man in the film and television industries, but has also been in the spotlight for a wide variety of controversies over the years. No matter how many credits Pratt adds to his resume, his past always seems to follow him. 

One of the first famous instances of Pratt raising eyebrows occurred in 2017, when he was interviewed for Men's Fitness to promote "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pratt portrays Star-Lord. During the interview, Pratt discussed his health, fitness routine, and the prospect of eventually starting his own Hollywood project — the last point left a sour taste in people's mouths. Pratt was quoted as saying, "I think there's room for me to tell [stories], and probably an audience that would be hungry for them. The voice of the average, blue-collar American isn't necessarily represented in Hollywood" (via Nylon). 

Considering that Pratt shot to fame portraying the blue-collar American Andy Dwyer on "Parks and Recreation", the actor was quickly branded as out of touch and ignorant online. Shortly after the quote made its rounds on social media and news outlets, Pratt hopped on X to apologize for the remark. "That was actually a pretty stupid thing to say," Pratt wrote. "There's a ton of movies about blue collar America." 

Pratt is a walking manifestation of the classic "put your foot in your mouth" metaphor, something that became apparent during another attempt to promote "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." Right after the Men's Fitness interview debacle, Pratt found himself in more hot water when he made an Instagram video that included a request for viewers to "turn up the volume and not just read the subtitles," (via Buzzfeed). The video has since been scrubbed from the Internet. 

This comment rubbed many people the wrong way, especially members of the Deaf community who may rely on subtitles. Shortly after this scandal broke, Pratt returned to Instagram to deliver an apology in American Sign Language. "I have people in my life who are hearing-impaired, and the last thing in the world I would want to do is offend them or anybody who suffers from hearing loss or any other disability," states part of Pratt's written caption. "So truly from the bottom of my heart I apologize. Thanks for pointing this out to me."

The stark opposite of Hallmark alum Danica McKellar's journey with faith, Pratt isn't the most religious celebrity, and he certainly ruffled feathers when his name was associated with Hillsong Church. Also known as Hillsong, the Christian megachurch has been embroiled in several controversies over the years, including its stance on homosexuality. In 2019, fellow actor Elliot Page took to X and wrote, "[Pratt's] church is infamously anti lgbtq so maybe address that too?" In another post, he followed up with, "If you are a famous actor and you belong to an organization that hates a certain group of people, don't be surprised if someone simply wonders why it's not addressed."

While it's unclear whether Page was actually referring to Hillsong in his tweets, Pratt stated in an Instagram Story a few days later, "It has recently been suggested that I belong to a church which 'hates a certain group of people' and is 'infamously anti-LGBTQ.' Nothing could be further from the truth" (via BBC). Pratt also addressed his alleged affiliation with Hillsong Church in an interview with Men's Health. "I've never actually been to Hillsong. I don't know anyone from that church," Pratt stated. As of 2019, Pratt is a member of Zoe Church, which other celebrities like Justin Bieber and Ashley Benson also attend. 

Pratt married Katherine Schwarzenegger in 2019, less than a year after his divorce from Anna Faris; as of 2026, Pratt and Schwarzenegger share three children. In August 2020, the couple welcomed their first child. Over a year later, in November 2021, Pratt shared a heartfelt Instagram post in which he gushed about Schwarzenegger in his staple playful manner. "She helps me with everything. In return, periodically, I open a jar of pickles," he wrote. Pratt also mentioned that Schwarzenegger had given him an amazing life and "a gorgeous healthy daughter."

This seemingly innocent comment sparked immediate backlash because it was seen as a passive-aggressive dig at Faris. Faris and Pratt share a son, who was born premature with health issues in 2012. In the same 2022 interview with Men's Health, Pratt revisited the unexpected controversy and shared how it affected him. "My son's gonna read that one day. He's nine. And it's etched in digital stone. It really f*****g bothered me, dude. I cried about it," the actor said.

Considering that Pratt's net worth is around $100 million as of 2026 (via Celebrity Net Worth), even without the Schwarzenegger family legacy taken into account, it should come as no surprise that the actor lives an extravagant lifestyle. In January 2023, Pratt and Schwarzenegger purchased the Zimmerman House, a historic Los Angeles home designed by Craig Ellwood in the 1950s. The couple bought the 2,770-square-foot home for $12.5 million, quite the extravagant purchase. The home sat across from the residence of Maria Shriver, Schwarzenegger's mother. 

In a move that shocked, surprised, and infuriated many, Pratt and Schwarzenegger seemed to buy Zimmerman House with the intent of tearing it down. In April 2024, a little more than a year after acquiring the property, news broke that the couple hired architect Ken Ungar to rebuild them a two-story farmhouse in its place. Multiple organizations, including the Los Angeles Conservancy, condemned this decision as selfish and needless. "We're encouraged to hear so many come out in support of keeping historic homes like this rather than needlessly throwing them away," the LA Conservancy wrote on Instagram. The couple demolished the house nonetheless.

While some celebrities aren't afraid to lay everything out on the table when it comes to movie promotions, Pratt tends to take things in a sarcastic or humorous direction. Most of the time, this attitude fares well. In October 2020, however, Pratt's attempt to lighten the mood backfired. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential election, Pratt told his Instagram followers to vote for his then-newest film, "Onward", for "Family Movie of the Year" at the People's Choice Awards. "Onward" was released on March 6, 2020.

In this particular instance, it's easy to see why someone from Pratt's publicity team should've stopped him before he hit the post button. "The upcoming 2020 People's Choice Awards is the most consequential vote in the history of mankind times a million infinity. Vote for #Onward for family movie of the year. Or else. You WILL die. No hyperbole," Pratt wrote. While clearly meant to be in jest, netizens took these words quite seriously and criticized Pratt for being tone-deaf and insensitive during a difficult time. Pratt did not respond to comments for this faux pas, although, for what it's worth, "Onward" did win the People's Choice Award.

Social media is a great way for celebrities to communicate with fans, but it is equally an easy avenue to receive backlash. In 2011, Pratt hopped on X and attempted to find someone to take in his cat. "Anyone in the L.A. area want a cat? Full disclosure, she's old and prone to accidents. So sweet though," Pratt wrote (via E! News). This seemingly innocent question turned into a full-on mayday, with animal lovers criticizing Pratt for his apparent callousness. 

While this controversy faded into obscurity rather quickly at the time, Pratt's cat debacle reared its head again in 2020 and 2024. Considering how soured his reputation had become by the 2020s, this old tweet fueled the flames of contention even more. Pratt was criticized online with renewed dislike for trying to give away the animal, especially after it came to light that the cat had a role in "Stuart Little" (1999). 

Five years after the cat debacle, Pratt found himself in a similarly tense situation. In 2016, a dog named Pete, who resided with Pratt and Faris, was found seemingly abandoned and wandering down the street in North Hollywood. The dog, who was identified by a microchip, was malnourished and immediately taken to a vet for treatment. Faris signed the dog's adoption papers in 2012 and was subsequently fined $5,000 (via TMZ), but since Pratt was married to her at the time, he got roped into the situation. Pratt and Faris did not provide a comment as to how Pete the dog ended up in his predicament. 

Internet sleuths take their jobs seriously, so if someone becomes famous, one of the first things they usually do is go through their old social media posts. In 2021, multiple old tweets with Pratt's Twitter handle began circulating online. The posts, which were dated 2012 and 2013, contained racist and anti-Muslim sentiments, including the N-word (via The Independent).

In this case, there's a strong case for Pratt not actually writing these tweets, and the images instead being intentionally photoshopped — except for one. A representative on Pratt's behalf told TMZ that while the actor did tweet that the 2012 Miss Universe contestants looked "like Miss Hungry," the rest of the controversial remarks were fake. "Chris never tweeted the offensive things that are being circulated today. Any suggestion that he did is not only totally false but also defamatory," the representative said. X agreed with the representative's sentiments. 

Pratt isn't the first MCU star to offend people, nor will he ever be the last. In 2015, Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America) and Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye) made offensive comments about Natasha Romanov/Black Widow while promoting "Avengers: Age of Ultron." Evans and Renner jokingly called the character, portrayed by Scarlett Johansson, a "s**t" and a "w***e", via Entertainment Tonight. The actors quickly apologized for their remarks and separately expressed their regrets. 

While this instance didn't initially feature Pratt, he inadvertently inserted himself into the drama when promoting his movie, "Jurassic World." Pratt posted a lengthy statement on Facebook in which he repeatedly "apologized" for any future comments he might make during press junkets. "Those rooms can get stuffy and the hardworking crews putting these junkets together need some entertainment! (Likely) that is who I was trying to crack up when I (will have had) made that tasteless and unprofessional comment," Pratt wrote. While many netizens found Pratt's post funny, others criticized it as obnoxious.  

When he's not busy acting, Pratt partakes in several different hobbies, including fishing, collecting guns, and playing chess. Over the years, Pratt has expressed a particular appreciation for hunting. In 2015, he told The Guardian, "I have a great deal of respect for the animals that I kill, and I feel remorse and all of the emotions that come with it." Pratt also posted a photo of himself handling deer meat on Instagram in January 2016. "I just filled the freezer with a bunch of tasty meat from an awesome deer hunt in the great state of Texas," Pratt included in his lengthy caption. 

When it comes to sending a message online, Pratt can be quite verbose. In January 2018, he mentioned again how much he loved hunting and the process of putting down a sheep on Instagram, but said a bit too much. "Just a touch of a USDA certified wand to his head and he goes to sleep. The other sheep don't even notice. It's like unplugging a TV," Pratt wrote. This analogy did not fly with a lot of people, who roasted the actor for being insensitive.  

Pratt shares a first name with too many actors, although he's frequently grouped with Evans, Chris Hemsworth (Thor), and "Star Trek" alum Chris Pine. In October 2020, X user Amy Berg shared images of the four men with the caption, "One has to go" (via Vox). While clearly a joke, Internet users took this challenge seriously and immediately declared that Pratt was the odd man out. Pratt was flamed for a number of reasons, with netizens bringing up all his previous controversies, perceived personas, and even relationships. Others decided that Pratt was the odd man out due to his similar acting roles, claiming that he lacked the versatility of the other men. Either way, the nickname was quickly stuck to Pratt, who has been called the "Worst Chris in Hollywood" ever since. 

To his credit, Pratt took the verdict in stride and told Men's Health in 2022 that if he had to guess, a religious thank-you speech he made in 2018 ruffled some feathers. What didn't help the actor's already-declining reputation was the reactions of many of his co-stars, who rallied to defend Pratt with surprising vigor. As just one prime example, Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man) wrote, "Delete your social media accounts, sit with your OWN defects of #character, work on THEM, then celebrate your humanness," in a passionate Instagram post. Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk), who frequently expresses his opinions online and during in-person events, publicly sided with Pratt on X as well. Calling him "as solid a man there is," Ruffalo claimed that the poll was a way to distract people from the 2020 presidential election. "This is a distraction. Let's keep our eyes on the prize, friends," he wrote. 

Plenty of celebrities support President Donald Trump and the Republican Party's policies, although not all of them are outspoken about their political affiliations. For marrying into one of the biggest political families in the United States, Pratt does his best not to disclose his personal views. Pratt has been accused of being a Trump supporter since at least 2020; in August 2025, Pratt described his infamous in-law, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as "great" and "funny" (via Club Random Podcast). Pratt also shared on X, "Praying for Charlie Kirk right now ... We need God's grace. God help us," after Kirk's September 2025 assassination; Kirk was an ally of Trump who founded Turning Point USA.

That said, while signs indicate that Pratt is a part of the MAGA scene, the actor has never specifically confirmed whether he supports Trump or not. During the 2024 presidential election, Pratt declined to endorse Trump or the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris; he instead urged Americans to unify regardless of their political beliefs. Pratt expressed a similar sentiment in his 2017 "Men's Fitness" interview. "I really feel there's common ground out there that's missed because we focus on the things that separate us," he said (via People).