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Dave Bautista Blasts Disney For Firing James Gunn

Dave Bautista Blasts Disney For Firing James Gunn

James Gunn was sacked from 'Guardians Of The Galaxy 3' for tweets about paedopilia now Dave Bautista has said he's 'NOT ok' with it

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 actor, Dave Bautista, has leaped to the defense of his former director, James Gunn, after he was sacked over offensive tweets that dated back a decade.

Bautista, 49, responded to Disney's decision with a tweet that he sent to his 1.16 million followers which read:

Gunn was fired on Friday when conservative news site The Daily Caller unearthed tweets from the filmmaker in which he 'joked' about sensitive topics including paedophilia, rape and the 9/11 terror attack. He has since deleted these tweets.

He has been known to speak out on social media about Donald Trump's presidency, which is probably why conservatives were riled into doing a bit of digging.

The 51-year-old defended himself on Twitter by saying: "Many people who have followed my career know when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo.

James Gunn.
PA

"As I have discussed publicly many times, as I've developed as a person, so has my work and my humor.

"It's not to say I'm better, but I am very, very different than I was a few years ago; today I try to root my work in love and connection and less in anger.

"My days saying something just because it's shocking and trying to get a reaction are over. In the past, I have apologized for humor of mine that hurt people. I truly felt sorry and meant every word of my apologies.

"For the record, when I made these shocking jokes, I wasn't living them out. I know this is a weird statement to make, and seems obvious, but, still, here I am, saying it.

"Anyway, that's the completely honest truth: I used to make a lot of offensive jokes. I don't anymore. I don't blame my past self for this, but I like myself more and feel like a more full human being and creator today. Love you to you all."

PA

According to the MailOnline, all of the tweets were posted before Gunn joined the Marvel Universe in 2014, but execs at Walt Disney have decided to cut ties regardless of when they were submitted.

Alan Horn chairman of Walt Disney Studios, said: "The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James' Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio's values, and we have severed our business relationship with him."

People are in agreement with Disney saying that his tweets are indefensible, but others have pointed out that he previously apologised and took the same stance as Bautista.

One said: "He said horrible shit, really horrible shit. It was clearly poor attempts at humor. He acted like an asshole. He previously owned it, apologized and changed. He owned it AGAIN and apologized again and pointed out he has changed."

Another added: "Reminder that James Gunn publicly apologized 6 YEARS AGO, before he made the first Guardians of the Galaxy, for the jokes that got him fired today. A man who apologized for the person he previously was and from that point forward proved to be a better man."

The third Guardians Of The Galaxy film is expected to begin filming this autumn for a provisional release date in 2020. Disney has yet to announce Gunn's replacement.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity, Guardians of the Galaxy, Dave Bautista, Community