Aurora Starchild
Jason Momoa recently caused a stir when he had photos taken in front of a Michelangelo painting in the Vatican. He just apologized for his Sistine Chapel faux pas.
Videos by Rare
Both the photos and the apology were posted to Instagram. Momoa posted two photos from a location that explicitly requests that no photos be taken. You can see them here and here. One of the photos is followed by a series of videos showing the inside of the Sistine Chapel.
Momoa’s Instagram, @prideofgypsies, was flooded with angry comments. As a result, Momoa just posted a heartfelt apology video.
The apology video takes place in the early morning in a gym. Momoa, shirtless, begins by talking about a muscle injury. About a minute and fifteen seconds into the video, he brings up his mistake.
“If you ever felt that I disrespected your culture, that wasn’t my intention… I came here when I was nineteen/twenty to really experience you know, the Sistine Chapel. I came to the Vatican and… the Pietà is one of my favorites…”
The Pietà is the painting by Michelangelo which Momoa posed under.
He continued to explain that he made a large donation so that he could bring his friends and crew to these places that he loves. Subsequently, his friends wanted to take pictures and he asked for permission before taking the photos.
However, Momoa acknowledges that the photos were offensive to many, and reiterates that he had no intention of being offensive.
As far as apologies go, Momoa’s seems very sincere. He asked for permission although there are signs that state not to take photos. He didn’t know it would rub so many people the wrong way.
So to any who may still be bothered by the faux pas, hopefully this makes you feel better.
