“Avengers” actor Mark Ruffalo on Wednesday scolded talk show host Ellen DeGeneres for dismissing people’s criticism of her for sitting next to former President George W. Bush at a football game.
After a photo went viral showing her and Mr. Bush sitting next to each other, Ms. DeGeneres attempted to quell the controversy during her Tuesday episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” by telling people to “be kind to one another.”
“I don’t mean only the people that think the same way that you do. I mean be kind to everyone. Doesn’t matter,” Ms. DeGeneres added. “We’re all different, and I think that we’ve forgotten that that’s OK.”
Mr. Ruffalo, who played Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk in the “Avengers” movies, rebuked her statement by saying the president’s action in the Iraq War were not warranting of “kindness.”
“Until George W Bush is brought to justice for the crimes of the Iraq War (including American-lead torture, Iraqi deaths and displacement, and the deep scars — emotional and otherwise — inflicted on our military that served his folly), we can’t even begin to talk about kindness,” he tweeted.
Actress Susan Sarandon also criticized Ms. DeGeneres, saying she’s “missing the point entirely.”
“DeGeneres framed the issue as simply a matter of her hanging out with someone with different opinions, not a man repeatedly accused of being a war criminal,” she said.
A few actresses came to Ms. DeGeneres’ side. Kristen Bell posted a picture of Mr. Bush and Ms. DeGeneres side by side with the caption “She’s my [queen],” while Reese Witherspoon said the statement was an “important reminder.”
“I have friends who don’t think the same things that i do. When I say be kind to one another , I don’t mean be kind to the people who think the same way you do . I mean ..Be Kind to Everyone.,” Ms. Witherspoon said in a tweet, which has since been deleted after receiving backlash.
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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