Following massive backlash he received after posting a picture criticizing Arthur Ashe Courage Award for Caitlyn, the 53-year-old director admits, 'I have the utmost respect for Caitlyn Jenner.'
- July 17, 2015
AceShowbiz -
"Lone Survivor" director Peter Berg took to Instagram on Thursday, July 16, to criticize ESPN's decision to honor Caitlyn Jenner with Arthur Ashe Courage Award. The actor/director/producer posted a photo by Main Stream Media Sponsor Boycotts showing a veteran soldier who lost his legs alongside Caitlyn's picture to compare who deserved the award better.
On the picture there was a note which read, "One Man traded 2 legs for the freedom of the other to trade 2 balls for 2 boobs." The note then dissed Caitlyn as saying, "Guess which Man made the cover of Vanity Fair, was praised for his courage by President Obama and is to be honored with the 'Arthur Ashe Courage Award' by ESPN?" While Peter didn't voice his own opinion, he showed his agreement as he simply captioned it, "Yup."
Many people commented on the picture Peter posted on his Instagram account to express their discontent. User @ceb1111wrote, "It's filmmakers like you that are killing the planet. May the Universe respond accordingly so that you learn a HARD lesson." Another user @greyjanae, who also disagreed with the picture, said, "What a shameful thing to do Peter Berg. Veterans struggle...yes! However, so do many other people."
After receiving massive backlash, the 53-year-old director posted another picture to clarify what he wanted to say by posting the previous picture. The new picture showed American flags saying, "4,334 veterans have died by suicide this year. *The VA estimates that 22 veterans die by suicide every day." Alongside the picture, he wrote, "I have the utmost respect for Caitlyn Jenner and I am a strong supporter of equality and the rights of trans people everywhere."
While Peter admitted that he respected trans people, he emphasized his concern about returning war veterans. "I also believe that we don't give enough attention to our courageous returning war veterans, many of whom have sacrificed their bodies and mental health for our country and our principals- principals that include the freedom to live the life you want to live without persecution or abuse," he added.
