Hollywood star Chris Pratt has denied that he has had any involvement with Hillsong Church.
The megachurch has been embroiled in controversy for the past few years, with its former global pastor Brian Houston recently being accused of sending inappropriate text messages to a member of staff and entering the hotel room of a different woman while drunk.
The church also launched an independent investigation into any cultural issues it may have after a revelation of an affair its former NYC pastor Carl Lentz was having.
In a new interview with Men's Health Magazine Pratt denied ever having ties with the church.
"I never went to Hillsong," he said. "I've never actually been to Hillsong. I don't know anyone from that church."
He was responding to a question from the publication about a time in 2019 when actor Ellen Paige called him out for being a part of what she called an "anti-LGBT" church.
Pratt issued a statement at the time: "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. I am a man who believes that everyone is entitled to love who they want free from the judgment of their fellow man."
Men's Health questioned why Pratt wasn't initially clearer about his position with the church.
He said: "I'm gonna, like, throw a church under the bus?" he replied. And then said: "If it's like the Westboro Baptist Church, that's different."
The Jurassic World star, who is very public about his Christian faith, also discussed his thoughts on organised religion, something he said he's not a fan of.
"I didn't know that I would kind of become the face of religion when really I'm not a religious person," he said.
"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. Whatever it is. 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."
