Jennifer Aniston fans pounced on the actress’s defense after she was called for sharing a coronavirus-themed Christmas decoration that some felt shed light on the pandemic.
In a now-deleted Instagram story, Aniston shared a photo of a round wooden Christmas decoration that read “Our First Pandemic 2020”. USA TODAY reached out to an Aniston representative for comment.
Some on social media disagreed with the post, calling her toneless for sharing the photo while people around the world suffered. As of Sunday, there were more than 19 million cases and 332,700 deaths in the United States, according to data from Johns Hopkins.
“Just because you like a celebrity doesn’t mean you shouldn’t hold them accountable,” @sassy_mel tweeted. “I’m sorry, but it’s so insensitive to put on an ornament that says ‘Pandemic 2020’. Innocent lives have been lost because of this pandemic. … Better do it, Jennifer Aniston. “
Is Jennifer Aniston okay? pic.twitter.com/hneXJBb8Cb
– radude (@ radude6) December 26, 2020
“Cheers to our first 2020 pandemic that left millions of people dead! Let’s celebrate that with a Christmas decoration! ” Twitter user @sugemidnight wrote.
Others pointed to the fact that Aniston was one of the biggest stars this year, promoting coronavirus safety, calling for masks to be worn, donating to the COVID-19 Relief Fund, and calling out to local restaurants to be in business stay.
“Jen Aniston was one of the few celebrities who used her platform to encourage people to support small businesses in the US on Christmas Eve (while others were busy posting their fancy dinners) and did she really get hatred for ONE ornament? What??” wrote @gaypresaniston.
“Everyone handles it differently,” added @ ImNotFreddy87. “That doesn’t mean she doesn’t understand the weight of this year. It just means that she handles it with humor. It wasn’t even an offensive phrase? “
COVID’s Christmas cards and decorations have taken with humor the troubles many people have faced this year. Garbage can fires, toilet paper rolls and jokes about life in loungewear were the most popular motifs. Brittany Sutton, co-owner of Rustic Raleigh sign shop, told USA TODAY in an email that she and her husband were “pleased that Jennifer Aniston decided to use one of our good-natured ornaments to decorate.”
“These were designed to add some holiday vibe (with a rustic flair) during these challenging times,” added Sutton. “We wish everyone good health and happiness in the coming year.”
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