Chris Evans has inadvertently disappointed his fans after clarifying “misinformation” about a viral resurfaced photo.
The former Marvel star, who played Captain America, has stepped in to defend himself after an image was shared on social media showing him signing what appeared to be a bomb.
This image went viral days after presidential hopeful Nikki Haley was photographed writing “Finish Them” on an artillery shell during a Memorial Day visit to the Israeli military amid the country’s ongoing war on Palestine.
Days after an Israeli airstrike killed at least 45 people, mostly women and children, sheltering in a tent camp in the city, Evans pointed out that the object he signed in the 2016 photo was, in fact, an “inert” prop.
“There’s a lot of misinformation surrounding this picture. Some clarification: This image was taken during a USO tour in 2016,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I went with a group of actors, athletes and musicians to show appreciation for our service members (sic). The object I was asked to sign is not a bomb, or a missile, or a weapon of any kind (sic).”
He added: “It’s an inert object used for training or display purposes only. You can read the quote from the Air Force in the next story,” following which he shared an article confirming his comment.
However, after the actor shared the clarification, many questioned why he did not use the opportunity to speak out against Israel’s onging attacks on Gaza.
“Chris Evans can say all this to defend himself and still not use his platform to spread awareness about Palestine,” one person wrote onX/Twitter, with a Reddit user adding: “He chose to respond to this, but has yet to say a damn thing about Palestine.”
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A fan account dedicated to the Hollywood star, named @evanscontent, said that his clarification “should have been accompanied by donation links or information regarding the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza”.
“We urge Chris to speak out against this genocide and use his platform to push for a permanent, lasting ceasefire,” the account said.
One commenter stated: “The fact Chris Evans came online to ‘debunk’ a known controversy people have been addressing for years yet is silent about a genocide says so much and mind you he only did this after he started to get compared to Nikki Haley.”
The Independent has contacted Evans for comment.
Earlier this week, musician Kehlani criticised celebrities for their “silence” over the ongoing war in Gaza, in a scathing post that has sparked a flurry of action by her peers.
The “Nights Like This” musician posted the video on Monday (27 May), in which she called out “highly platformed” people who interact with her pro-Palestine social media posts in private but do not say anything in public.
The 29-year-old said she had lost “any ounce of f***ing respect” for the artists who she reports regularly reached out to her for collaborations.
Rapper Macklemore also released a track condemning the culture of silence in the entertainment industry over Israel.
