Chris Pratt denies being a member of celebrity megachurch Hillsong and weighs in on religion controversy

• Chris Pratt opened up about his views on religion and the Hillsong church in an new interview.

• The actor clarified to Men's Health that he "never" worshipped at the controversial church.

• Pratt didn't clarify his affiliation with Hillsong earlier because he didn't want to "throw a church under the bus."

Chris Pratt got candid about his experiences with religion and the controversial Hillsong church in a new interview with Men's Health.

The "Guardians of the Galaxy" actor clarified in the interview that he'd "never actually been" to Hillsong, a Christian church made famous by celebrity congregants like Justin and Hailey Bieber that's also come under fire for its "ultraconservative" stances on LGBTQ rights and abortion. (Justin Bieber confirmed he'd left the church in January 2021.)

Hillsong cofounder Brian Houston was also charged by the Australian police in August 2021 with concealing the sexual abuse of a young boy by his father, pastor Frank Houston. Brian Houston announced in January that he was stepping down as pastor while he fights the accusations.

"I never went to Hillsong," Pratt told Men's Health, adding, "I don't know anyone from that church."

When asked why he didn't set the record straight on his affiliation with Hillsong sooner, the actor replied, "I'm gonna, like, throw a church under the bus?"

Pratt did confirm in the interview that he attends Zoe Church, a congregation with ties to Hillsong founded by pastor Chad Veatch. Veach modeled his church after Hillsong, according to The New York Times, and has previously spoken at an Australian branch of Hillsong.

In 2019, the actor Elliot Page criticized Pratt after he spoke about Zoe Church and his religion on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." Pratt subsequently issued a statement affirming that he supports the LGBTQ community.

Elsewhere in the profile, Pratt spoke about the backlash he's gotten from some people online about his faith.

"You don't ever wanna get caught complaining or anything," the "Jurassic World" star said. "Cause I have so many blessings. I consider everything a blessing truly in my life."

But the actor also questioned, "Why are they coming after me?"

Pratt also revealed to Men's Health that he "cried" after being called out for an Instagram post about his "healthy" daughter in November.

Read the original article on Insider