Chris Pratt denies ever going to controversial Hillsong Church after Elliot Page accusations-Cydney Yeates-Entertainment – Metro

Chris Pratt has clarified his alleged connection with Hillsong (Picture: AFP)

Chris Pratt has insisted he has never been to Hillsong three years after Elliot Page accused him of attending an ‘infamously anti-LGBTQ+’ church.

The Terminal List star, who actually no longer wants to be referred to by his first name, asserted that he has no connections to Hillsong as he shed light on his religious beliefs.

‘I never went to Hillsong,’ Pratt said. ‘I’ve never actually been to Hillsong. I don’t know anyone from that church.’

It comes after The Umbrella Academy star Elliot called on Pratt to address Hillsong’s attitude towards LGBTQ+ people after he spoke about his ‘spiritual side’ on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

According to the actor, he began being targeted with criticism for his religion after he spoke about his relationship with God during an acceptance speech at the MTV Movie & TV Awards in 2018, when he told the audience: ‘God is real. God loves you.’

In an interview with Men’s Health, he continued: ‘Maybe it was hubris. For me to stand up on the stage and say the things that I said, I’m not sure I touched anybody.

The Terminal List actor claims he has never attended the controversial church (Picture: Men’s Health)

‘I didn’t know that I would kind of become the face of religion when really I’m not a religious person.

‘I think there’s a distinction between being religious – adhering to the customs created by man, oftentimes appropriating the awe reserved for who I believe is a very real God – and using it to control people, to take money from people, to abuse children, to steal land, to justify hatred/’

Pratt added: ‘The evil that’s in the heart of every single man has glommed on to the back of religion and come along for the ride.’

The Hillsong Church was first founded in 1983 in Australia and is known for its young following and its worship music, attracting celebrities including Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin.

Pastor Carl Lentz was famously fired from the Church in 2020 for ‘moral failures’ after he admitted to being unfaithful to his wife.

Pastor Carl Lentz was famously fired from the Church in 2020 (Picture: Getty)

Carl was sacked from Hillsong in 2020 after he was found to be cheating on his wife Laura – who he married in 2003 and shares three children with.

The pastor, one of the most high-profile figures, said at the time: ‘I was unfaithful in my marriage, the most important relationship in my life, and held accountable for that. 

‘This failure is on me, and me alone and I take full responsibility for my actions. I now begin a journey of rebuilding trust with my wife, Laura, and my children and taking real time to work on and heal my own life and seek out the help that I need. 

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‘I am deeply sorry for breaking the trust of many people who we have loved serving and understand that this news can be very hard and confusing for people to hear and process.’

Earlier this year, a three-part series exploring his affair and the controversies surrounding Hillsong, titled Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed, was released.

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