The wrestler-turned-actor explains why
Dave Bautista, known for his roles in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies and in the latest Netflix movie “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” recently explained in a GQ TikTok video on why he covered up a tattoo on his left forearm.
According to Bautista, he did it to remove his connections "to a former friend who made anti-gay statements." The actor also stated how he used to really looked up to that person but cannot continue his association with that person.
"He later came out publicly with some anti-gay statements and turned out to be an extreme homophobe," Bautista shared. "It’s a personal issue with me. My mom’s a lesbian, and I just could no longer call him a friend."
Though the actor didn’t specify who that person is, the tattoo in question is that of a flaming meteor, the team logo of boxing legend Manny Pacquiao.
During Pacquiao’s run for a Philippine Senate seat in 2016, he was asked by a local TV station about his stance on same-sex marriage, and then answered that "If men mate with men and women mate with men, they are worse than animals."
Pacquiao continued, "The animals are better. They know how to distinguish male from female."
Readers may recall that after issuing this statement, Pacquiao received a huge backlash from the international community, including big names from the sports community.
Apart from Dave Bautista, basketball legend Magic Johnson also joined in on letting their disapproval be known, regarding Pacquiao’s infamous interview. Johnson is well known for his support of his son E.J., who publicly came out as gay. In 2016, Pacquaio also lost ties with a major international sporting brand, after calling gay people “worse than animals.”
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Pacquiao subsequently apologized for his statement. "I’m sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals. Please forgive me for those I’ve hurt. I still stand on my belief that I’m against same sex marriage because of what the Bible says, but I’m not condemning LGBT. I love you all with the love of the Lord. God Bless you all and I’m praying for you."
Featured image source: Dave Bautista's Instagram