Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky sparked controversy on Tuesday when they starred in an Abu Dhabi tourism advertisement.
The couple filmed a high-budget film for the capital of the United Arab Emirates, but it was criticized by fans, concerned about “human rights abuses” in the country.
Some brutally accused the Thor star, 41, and his Spanish wife, 48, on Instagram of accepting “blood-soaked advertising money” and told them to “do better.”
“I just have to ignore all the human rights abuses,” one person said of her post, while another wrote: “A commercial for a state with few human rights?”
“They’re a big family, so why don’t they use their reach for something meaningful?” added a third.
‘How beautiful. A country without women’s rights and without workers’ rights. It’s an amazing thing to promote with your huge celebrity status,’ someone else commented.
One user noted: “Not much of a vacation if you’re a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.”
‘Hey, Thor, you won like a million cool dollars. Do you really need advertising money, soaked in blood? wrote one follower.
Chris Hemsworth, 41, (right) and his wife Elsa Pataky, 48, (left), sparked controversy on Tuesday when they starred in an Abu Dhabi tourism advertisement.
‘Oh dear, no! Just don’t! Do better,” someone else added, while one commented: “Is he running out of money?”
The United Arab Emirates has long been criticized for its human rights abuses, including against women and the LGBTQIA+ community.
According to AMERA International, a refugee legal aid resource website, the UAE Penal Code says that any sexual act outside of heterosexual marriage carries a minimum one-year “confinement” penalty.
However, he goes on to say: ‘The Arabic article of Article 354 is written in such a way that it could be interpreted as a death sentence for all male homosexual relations or only for forced male homosexual relations.
‘Amnesty International interprets the article as condemning to death perpetrators of rape of both men and women, but it can also be translated: “Anyone who commits rape with a woman or sodomy with a man.”‘
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Chris and Elsa’s representatives for comment.
The ad the couple shared on Instagram showed the couple running side by side on what appeared to be an action movie set.
As they jumped from a skyscraper to a hanging platform, Chris appeared to cling to his wife’s legs before daydreaming about going on holiday.
“I could really use a vacation right now,” the Hollywood star mused as Elsa struggled to hold him up as they dangled in the air.
The couple filmed a high-budget film for the capital of the United Arab Emirates, but was criticized by fans concerned about “human rights abuses” in the country.
“A warm, adventurous place, with fun activities for the kids,” he continued as he began daydreaming about the couple and their twins on vacation in Abu Dhabi.
What followed were clips of Chris, Elsa and their youngest children, Tristan and Sasha, 10, riding horses and driving dune buggies through the desert.
They could be seen enjoying a variety of other fun activities in the ad, including surfing, driving race cars, and visiting a theme park and aquarium.
—Something more relaxing too? Elsa said in a hilarious shot that showed her still out of breath while holding Chris.
Some brutally accused the Thor star and his Spanish wife on Instagram of receiving “blood-soaked advertising money” and told them to “do better.”
The Fast and Furious star was then shown enjoying a relaxing massage and a leisurely kayak trip with her family before visiting a museum.
It follows Chris sharing a rare health update after revealing his career could be “killing him” earlier this year.
The Thor star is working with Dr. Adeel Khan, a world leader in regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy.
‘I really enjoyed meeting Dr Khan. “His work with MUSE cells, an incredible type of regenerative stem cell, is unique,” Chris wrote on Instagram on Saturday.
Dr. Kahn, who posed for a photo with Chris, has treated royal families, celebrities including Zac Efron and Justin Baldoni and elite athletes with his cutting-edge stem cell therapy.
The ad showed Chris and Elsa acting out an action seen while the Thor star daydreamed about vacationing in Abu Dhabi.
Muse cells, found in the bone marrow and connective tissue of almost all organs, have an enormous capacity to function as restorative cells for a wide range of tissues and organs.
They are able to recognize damaged tissue and selectively accumulate at the site of damage through intravenous injection.
In May, it was reported that beloved actor Chris was filming the series Limitless in 2022 when he discovered he is “eight to 10 times” more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than the general population.
Shortly after the news broke, Chris took a step back from Hollywood to focus on his health and spend more time with his family.
