Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky sparked controversy on Tuesday when they starred in a tourism advert for Abu Dhabi.
The couple filmed an expensive movie for the United Arab Emirates capital but were criticized by fans concerned about “human rights abuses” in the country.
Some brazenly accused the Thor star, 41, and his Spanish wife, 48, on Instagram of taking “blood-soaked advertising money” and told them to “do better.”
“Should you just ignore all human rights violations,” one said of his post, while another wrote: “A commercial for a state with few human rights?”
“You’re a great family, so why not use your reach for something meaningful?” a third added.
‘How sweet. A country without women’s rights and workers’ rights. A great thing to promote to your big celebrity [status]someone else commented.
One user commented: ‘Not much of a holiday if you’re a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.’
“Yo, Thor, you made a gazillion dollars. Do you really need blood-soaked advertising money?’ wrote one follower.
Chris Hemsworth, 41, (right) and wife Elsa Pataky, 48, (left) sparked controversy on Tuesday when they starred in a tourism advert for Abu Dhabi
“Oh dear, no! Just no! Do better,” someone else added, while one commented: “Is he running out of money?”
The UAE has long been criticized for its human rights abuses, including against women and the LGBTQIA+ community.
According to AMERA International, a legal aid website for refugees, the UAE Criminal Code carries a penalty of at least one year of “imprisonment” for any sexual act outside heterosexual marriage.
However, it goes on to say: ‘The Arabic of Article 354 is written in such a way that it could be interpreted as condemning all male homosexual intercourse to the death penalty or only forced male homosexual intercourse.
‘Amnesty International interprets the article as sentencing perpetrators of rape of both men and women to death, but it can also be translated: ‘Whoever rapes a woman or commits sodomy with a man.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Chris and Elsa’s reps for comment.
The advert, which the couple shared on Instagram, saw the pair running side by side on what looked like an action movie set.
As they jumped from a skyscraper onto a hanging platform, Chris appeared to cling to his wife’s legs before daydreaming about a vacation.
“I could use a vacation right now,” the Hollywood star mused as Elsa struggled to keep him upright as they hung in the air.
The couple filmed a high-budget movie for the United Arab Emirates capital but were criticized by fans concerned about ‘human rights abuses’ in the country
“Somewhere warm and adventurous, with fun activities for the kids,” he continued as he began daydreaming about the couple and their twin boys on holiday in Abu Dhabi.
What followed were clips of Chris, Elsa and their youngest children, Tristan and Sasha, 10, going horseback riding and dune buggies across the desert.
The advert showed them enjoying a host of other fun activities, including surfing, racing car driving and visiting a theme park and aquarium.
‘Also something more relaxing?’ Elsa said in a hilarious shot, which showed she was still out of breath as she held Chris up.
Some brutally accused the Thor star and his Spanish wife on Instagram of taking ‘blood-soaked advertising money’ and said they should ‘do better’
The Fast and Furious star was then shown enjoying a relaxing massage and a peaceful kayaking trip with her family before visiting a museum.
It follows Chris sharing a rare health update after revealing earlier this year that his career could ‘kill’ him.
The Thor star teams up with Dr. Adeel Khan, a world leader in regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy.
‘I really enjoyed meeting Dr. to meet Khan. His work with MUSE cells – an incredible type of regenerative stem cells – is unique,” Chris wrote on Instagram on Saturday.
Dr. Kahn, who posed in the photo with Chris, has treated royal families, celebrities like Zac Efron and Justin Baldoni, and elite athletes with his advanced stem cell therapy.
In the ad, Chris and Elsa acted out an action seen when the Thor star daydreamed about a holiday to Abu Dhabi
Muse cells, found in the bone marrow and connective tissue of almost every organ, have a tremendous ability to function as repair cells for a wide range of tissues and organs.
They can recognize damaged tissue and selectively accumulate at the site of damage by intravenous injection.
In May, it was reported that beloved actor Chris was filming the Limitless series in 2022 when he discovered he is “between eight to 10 times” more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than the general population.
Shortly after the news broke, Chris took a step back from Hollywood to focus on his health and spend more time with his family.