Since he was raised by a lesbian mother, former WWE superstar Dave Bautista, has been in a long time support for the LGBT community. He isn’t afraid to insult homophobic people even if they’re a good friend like Manny Pacquiao, a Filipino boxer who believes in the tepid world.
Dave Bautista is an active LGBTQ+ fanatic.
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Bautista recently met the GQ with the aim of discussing something different. When the topic of Bautista’s covered-up tattoo started, the wrestler-turned-actor didn’t hesitate to show the reason, saying he had already said: “I didn’t mind that if he was to defend his tattoo, I was able to explain the reason.
I was part of a team of people I considered a friend and a person I really didn’t realize. And then he came out in public with anti-gay comments and turned out to be an extreme homophobe. So, I got something big. I’m an autobiographical person. My mother is a lesbian. And I could just not call him a friend anymore.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe star didn’t explicitly name Manny Pacquiao in his statement, but it is clear that he is who he is talking about. The two other professional fighters bonded over their shared heritage to the point that he had Pacquiao tattooed on his forearm. The tattoo has since been replaced by a sugar skull design.
At the time, Pacquiao compared a pair of gay people to a “worse than a animal”. The ensuing backlash against the statement resulted in Pacquiao losing his endorsement deals, which included a lucrative agreement with Nike.
Bautista had a lot of unsavory words to share with TMZ back then. It appears time hasn’t healed the relationship between the two former friends.
It’s unclear if Manny Pacquiao has tried to reach out to Dave Bautista since his controversial statement in 2016.
Since he has been struggling to find his foot in the industry for years, Dave is currently working as a Hollywood star. After a decade of being a top-billing WWE star, Bautista became a household name in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Bautista’s setting his sights on the role of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which will go out on May 5th.
After nearly a decade in the MCU, Bautista will explore his acting range as he plays a major role in Knock at the Cabin, a potential Gears of War adaptation, a buddy cop movie with Jason Momoa, and Dune 2.