He had the nation’s sympathy last night as he confronted his parents about his sexuality and plans to wed, but Bride & Prejudice star Chris says he will not give up on his mother and father, despite what many perceived as their coldness and hostility.
Chris, who wanted his parents to come to terms with his sexuality and meet his partner Grant, was left devastated when they sternly rebuffed him, because of his mother’s religious beliefs and his conservative father’s general disagreement with homosexuality.
The heartbreaking scene had many viewers up in arms, with a lot of extremely hostile social media posts directed at the parents. Chris says he understands the anger, but says he won’t give up on his parents.
‘My initial reaction when my parents spoke to me like that was one of anger, and for viewers seeing it for the first time, it would definitely make people angry; to hear that type of stuff,’ Chris said in a Facebook Live interview this morning.
‘Some of the comments that were made [by my parents] were very insensitive, particularly to parents who lost children and that came through a lot,’ said Chris, referring to his mother’s comment that she felt that the son she knew and loved had died.
But he says hostility is not the answer if there is ever to be a resolution. He is also conscious that viewers can’t have a full understanding of his parents and their relationship from their amount of screen time.
‘When you’re trying to educate people about something they don’t understand, attacking them isn’t the best way,’ he says of the angry reaction.
He adds that he has been in contact with his mum and dad since the show aired, and they ‘are taking some time out.’
Chris plans to ‘continue to try’ to get his parents back into his life, although he concedes he ‘might get a bit of pushback.’
Best of luck, Chris! In the meantime he’s heartened by the public’s warmth towards him.
‘The support has been amazing, we’ve had a lot of adoption offers and virtual hugs,’ he says.
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