Chris Pratt has sparked mixed reactions over his tribute to his late Parks and Recreation co-star Jonathan Joss, with many describing the message as too “robotic” or “poorly written.”
Jonathan was fatally shot on Sunday (June 1) during a dispute at his San Antonio property by a former neighbor, Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja. He was 59.
On Facebook, Jonathan’s husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, said he was present at the time of the shooting and claimed it was a targeted hate crime.
“My husband Jonathan Joss and I were involved in a shooting while checking the mail at the site of our former home. That home was burned down after over two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire,” Tristan began.
Chris Pratt divided opinions after posting a message about his late Parks and Recreation co-star Jonathan Joss
Image credits: Maya Dehlin Spach/Getty Images
The man claimed that he and Jonathan had reported the threats multiple times, but “nothing was done.”
“Throughout that time, we were harassed regularly by individuals who made it clear they did not accept our relationship,” he wrote.
On the day of the attack, Tristan said they went to the burned house to check their mail and discovered “the skull of one of [their] dogs” deliberately placed for them to find, which caused them “severe emotional distress.”
Jonathan Joss was fatally shot during a dispute at his San Antonio, Texas, property by a former neighbor
He alleged that a man approached them and began “yelling violent homophobic slurs” before firing his weapon.
According to police, authorities responded to the shooting at around 7 p.m. and found the actor lying “near the roadway.”
While waiting for emergency medical services, authorities attempted to administer “life-saving measures,” but Jonathan had already succumbed to his injuries by the time paramedics arrived.
Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja was detained after attempting to flee the scene in a vehicle. Police said they haven’t found evidence of a hate crime but the investigation was still ongoing.
Jonathan’s husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, claimed the shooting was a targeted hate crime
Image credits: prattprattpratt
Chris Pratt, who played Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation, was among the cast members of the beloved NBC sitcom who paid tribute to Jonathan, who portrayed Chief Ken Hotate.
In his Instagram stories, he wrote, “Da*n. RIP Jonathan. Always such a kind dude. He played Ken Hotate in Parks and was also in Mag 7. Sad to see. Prayers up. Hug your loved ones.”
But several social media users felt that Chris’ tribute was too brief and emotionally detached.
“Honestly, just using full sentences would have made this sound more sincere even if they weren’t close. Minimal effort. Also, what does ‘prayers up’ even mean,” one person wrote.
“This is such a poorly written statement,” agreed someone else. “I know that Pratt likely wasn’t close with Jonathan, nor is he expected to be — but no statement is honestly better than this. It sounds so callous.”
“This message gives ‘Da*n, that’s crazy’ vibes. Yuck,” echoed a third.
However, others defended the Jurassic World star, writing, “Chris has always been a casual person and the way he words things show that. That doesn’t mean that he wasn’t sad.”
“Yeah, he could have worded it better, but people already hate him, so they find it easy to nick-pick on little stuff. At least he gave his condolences…” said a separate fan.
Chris Pratt posted a short tribute in his Instagram stories, describing the actor as a “kind dude”
Last year, Chris faced criticism for omitting Anna Faris, his ex-wife and the mother of his first child, from his Mother’s Day message and exclusively focusing on his current wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, and his mother, Kathy Pratt.
Chris previously faced backlash for excluding his ex-wife, Anna Faris, from a lengthy Mother’s Day message
“Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas out there! Love to my Mom Kathy who set a high bar for her love, patience, humor, and joy in motherhood,” the 45-year-old wrote on Instagram.
“And a special thank you my darling Katherine for all you do. Witnessing you be a mom to Lyla and Eloise and a stepmom to Jack makes me fall more and more in love with you every day.
“The 24/7 job of scheduling, transporting, loving, nurturing, managing calendars, planning activities, the nutrition, the boundaries, the rules, the patience, the gentleness, the firmness, the wisdom, and grace.”
“It’s truly a marvel,” he concluded the post, which featured several photos of Katherine and Kathy.
Chris and Anna, his Take Me Home Tonight co-star, married in 2009 and divorced in 2017, citing irreconcilable differences. They share a son, Jack, born in 2012.
In 2018, he began a relationship with Katherine after being introduced by her mother, Maria Shriver. The couple shares three children: Lyla, born in 2020; Eloise, born in 2022; and Ford, born in 2024.
Many fans supported Chris amid the backlash, arguing that it would’ve been odd for him to mention his ex on social media, given that he has moved on and that kind of gesture might make his current partner uncomfortable.
People criticized Chris’ message for being “tone-deaf” and lacking empathy
