Dave Bautista has stated he remains estranged from former friend Manny Pacquiao seven years after the pair severed any personal ties.
The former WWE icon and movie star said the pair would never regain their old status as there’s ‘no coming back’ from what Pacquiao noted in 2016.
A staunch supporter of gay rights, having been raised by a lesbian mother, ‘Batista’ blasted Pacquiao for his words on a Filipino TV station.
Manny Pacquiao’s beliefs
Pacquiao told TV5 about his views on gay marriage rights.
“The animals are better. They know how to distinguish male from female,” Pacquiao said. “If we approve [of] male on male, female on female [marriage], then man is worse than animals.”
Following a backlash, Pacquiao apologized for the comparison. However, he did not and will not change his views.
“But this does not change my position against same-sex marriage. That’s what I believe. My only mistake is comparing gay people to animals,” added the eight-weight world boxing champion.
Bautista spoke about his old affinity with Pacquiao when the ex-Senator was at the height of his powers on United States Pay Per View.
Pacquiao has since retired from boxing, and the 53-year-old star of ‘The Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story’ won’t be handing out forgiveness.
Dave Bautista not happy with Pacquiao
“I had a huge issue with it. It’s a personal issue for me,” Batista said in an online exchange covered by People Magazine. “My mom’s a lesbian.
“I could no longer call him a friend.”
On previously boasting a tattoo affiliated with Pacquiao, he continued: “I had it covered up with this,” before showing the new ink and explaining what it used to look like.
“It used to be a team logo [MP].”
Further delving into his beliefs, Bautista stated: “I was part of a team of a person I considered a friend and someone I really looked up to. And then, he later came out publicly with some anti-gay statements and turned out to be an extreme homophobe.”
On social media, Bautista posted an image of himself in rainbow colors.
“I was always proud of who my mom was because she was always proud of who she was. In your face, f— you if you don’t like it, unapologetically loud and proud.
“And her son [paid] attention. Be loud, be proud, be you,”
When Pacquiao faced criticism for his words, Bautista threatened anyone who compared his family in a derogatory manner.
“You can’t come back from that, man. There’s no coming back from that,” he told TMZ when labeling Pacquiao ‘an idiot.’
“I don’t think it’s funny. Let’s put it like this; if anyone called my mother an animal, I’d stick my foot in his a**.”
And that’s the end of Dave Bautista and Manny Pacquiao.
