Katherine Schwarzenegger has opened up about the downsides of fame, and why she tries to avoid responding to criticism of her husband Chris Pratt.
Schwarzenegger, 33, spoke candidly about life in the spotlight, and what she learned growing up with her famous parents, journalist Maria Shriver, and actor and former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, while speaking to The New York Times.
According to the author, who shares daughters Lyla, two, and Eloise, eight months, with the Guardians of the Galaxy star, she tries to ignore negativity at the guidance of her mother, who warned her against the “never-ending” trap of trying to correct the record.
Schwarzenegger also revealed that hearing negative things about her family growing up helped prepare her for the criticism she faces as part of a celebrity couple.
However, that doesn’t mean that the children’s book author doesn’t “see what people say,” as she told the outlet that she is aware of the negative comments often centred around her husband.
The newspaper recalled two instances where Pratt found himself the target of criticism: in 2020, when he was declared the worst “Chris” in Hollywood, and in 2021, when he praised his wife for giving birth to a “healthy daughter,” which many took as a dig at the actor’s first wife, Anna Faris, who gave birth to their son Jack prematurely.
“Growing up, hearing people say certain things about my parents, my siblings, my extended family” was difficult, Schwarzenegger told the outlet.
And while she avoids attempts to set the record straight, she said the negativity is “far from the reality”.
“I see what people say,” she said. “But I just know that it’s so far from the reality.”
During the interview, Schwarzenegger, who said she likes to keep details about her relationship with Pratt private, revealed that the pair met at Zoe Church in 2018.
And although Schwarzenegger had experience growing up in the spotlight, her relationship with the actor meant the attention grew to another level.
“I wasn’t getting questions about my love life or who I was dating or anything like that,” she said of her life before Pratt.
As for the life she shares with the Jurassic World star, the mother of two said people would be surprised by how down to earth it is.
“If you would ask anybody how I was at home, they’d be like: ‘She walks around with her hair in a banana clip and a box of crackers with one of the children on her hip,’” she said, adding that eating too many crackers is “a constant thing that my husband is always making fun of me for”.
“I should have bought stock in Mary’s Gone Crackers,” she added.
After beginning their relationship in 2018, Pratt and Schwarzenegger got engaged in January 2019. The couple tied the knot in Montecito, California, later that same year.
As for how Pratt feels about the negativity, he told Men’s Health that the public’s reaction to his comment about his daughter made him cry.
The actor shared his response while reflecting on the media coverage around his comment, with Pratt telling the outlet: “A bunch of articles came out and said: ‘That’s so cringeworthy. I can’t believe Chris Pratt would thank her for a healthy daughter when his first child was born premature. That’s such a dig at his ex-wife.’”
“And I’m like, that is f**ked up. My son’s gonna read that one day. He’s nine. And it’s etched in digital stone. It really f**king bothered me, dude. I cried about it,” he continued. “I was like, I hate that these blessings in my life are - to the people close to me - a real burden.”
