Hollywood star Chris Pratt has come under criticism after a picture of him wearing a controversial T-shirt during a stroll with new wife Katherine Schwarzenegger divided opinion online.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Star, 39, was pictured on Sunday wearing a top showing the Gadsden Flag from the American Revolution, which depicts the American flag with a coiled rattlesnake in front of it, and the words ‘Don’t tread on me’ emblazoned beneath.
The flag, first designed by American general Christopher Gadsden in 1775, was originally created to symbolize liberty and freedom.
It’s also a symbol still used by the US Men’s Soccer Team, approved by the US Navy and is even regularly associated with the band Metallica, who wrote song called ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ in 1991.
However, in recent years the insignia has also found prevalence among far-right groups such as the Tea Party and neo-Nazi groups as well, leaving the Equal Employment Commission to advise that the flag is ‘sometimes interpreted to convey racially-tinged messages in some context’ in a 2016 ruling.
Hollywood star Chris Pratt has come under criticism after he was pictured wearing a controversial t-shirt during a stroll with Katherine Schwarzenegger
The Guardians of the Galaxy Star, 39, was pictured on Sunday wearing a top (left) showing the Gadsden Flag from the American Revolution (right) – an insignia that now has negative connotations. The flag, designed by American general Christopher Gadsden in 1775, was originally created to symbolize liberty and freedom
The EEC’s interpretation comes largely in part as a result of the murder of two police officers, Alyn Beck, 41, and Igor Soldo, 31, in Las Vegas 2014, who were shot dead by two white supremacists and draped their bloodied bodies were draped in a version of Gadsden, which also featured Swastika symbols.
Ever since, the Gadsden flag has carried some unfavorable connotations, and has regularly found itself associated as a signet of more conservative and far-right ideology.
Such connotations have led some to speculate that Chris Pratt holds ‘white supremacist’ views online, after he donned a version of the logo on the streets of LA this week.
‘Nice shirt… Only people I see with that flag are alt-right racists,’ said one twitter user.
‘I like him, but all these small things about his politics makes me wonder when he’ll say something transphobic, tank his career, and do the full heel-turn into a Fox commentator,’ added Tim Byrnes.
This isn’t the first time the political or general beliefs of Pratt, a known conservative, have been called into question or speculated over.
In recent years the insignia has also found prevalence among far-right groups such as the Tea Party and neo-Nazi groups as well, leaving the Equal Employment Commission to advise that the flag is ‘sometimes interpreted to convey racially-tinged messages in some context (Pictured: Alt-right members preparing to enter Emancipation Park in Houston, holding Nazi, Confederate Battle, Gadsden ‘Don’t Tread on Me,’ flags – by Anthony Crider)
The flag’s connotations have led some to speculate that Chris Pratt holds ‘white supremacist’ views, after he donned a version of the logo on the streets of LA this week
Following a Yahoo article on the matter, criticism for Pratt initially came thick-and-fast on Twitter
In February this year, actress Ellen page hit-out at Pratt on Twitter over his religious affiliations, calling the church he attends and regularly donates to as being ‘infamously anti-LGBTQ’.
The Manhattan-based Hillsong Church, which originally was launched in Australia in 2010, has on several occasions make anti-LGBT comments, even calling homosexuality a sin in 2015.
But Pratt vehemently denied holding any homophobic or anti-LGBTQ views himself, regardless of the church’s murky history.
‘My faith is important to me but no church defines me or my life, and I am not a spokesman for any church or group of people. My values define who I am. We need less hate in this world, not more. I am a man who believes that everyone is entitled to love who they want free from the judgement of their fellow man,’ he said in a statement shortly afterwards.
The symbol still used by the US Men’s Soccer Team, approved by the US Navy and is even regularly associated with the band Metallica, who wrote song called ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ in 1991
And fans of the Marvel actor were quick to jump to his defense on Tuesday in overwhelming numbers, as were a number of other celebrities and media commentators, insisting that any claims of Pratt being racist are far wide of the mark.
‘How the hell is the “don’t tread on me” flag, which is fully authorized by the @USNavy racist? Stay strong @prattprattpratt,’ said one supporter.
Others said that the speculation over Pratt’s intentions behind wearing the T-shirt is indicative of the times, citing a diminishing national pride.
‘What’s so wrong with having pride in you’re country? [sic] Us as Americans have lost pride in our own country, this is disturbing. (I’m black btw I wonder how you’re going to play that racist card on me),’ @Mcusaga said.
And fans of the Marvel actor were quick to jump to his defense on Tuesday in overwhelming numbers, as were a number of other celebrities and media commentators, insisting that any claims of Pratt being racist are far wide of the mark
Others said that the speculation over Pratt’s intentions behind wearing the T-shirt is indicative of the times, citing a diminishing national pride
Outspoken journalist and political commentator Ben Shapiro, who himself is no stranger to accusations of racism, also leaped to Pratt’s defense, damning the original Yahoo article that highlighted the white supremacist interpretations.
‘Not every symbol of the early republic is a white supremacist symbol, unless you are a moron,’ Shapiro tweeted in response to the article.
Shoshana Weissmann added: ‘Chris @prattprattpratt is criticized as a white supremacist for *checks notes* wearing a centuries-old symbol of freedom.’
Representatives of Chris Pratt did not immediately return a DailyMail.com request for comment.