Actor slammed for ‘insensitive’ caption referencing Notre Dame fire

April 17, 2019 - 3:04 PM
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Matthias Rhoads
Matthias Rhoads in a Taal Volcano tour. (Instagram/manilamatthias)

Some Twitter users slammed Filipino-American actor and model Matthias Rhoads for his now-edited caption on Instagram initially deemed “insensitive” for referencing the Notre Dame Cathedral fire in Paris.

Rhoads initially shared a picture of his torso as a result of his workout regimen with a caption that began with the text: “The Norte [sic] Dame burned down today, yet another masterpiece is in the making.”

RELATED: Notre Dame Cathedral burning: Five facts

It was later on edited to exclude the mention of the tragedy but some observant users were able to capture his original post.

In his follow-up tweet, Arneson shared a video to prove that Rhoads really edited the caption in response to users saying his screen capture did not have a verified mark on Rhoad’s username.

Arneson recorded the moment when he reacted on Rhoads’ still-unedited post through his own Instagram Stories. He clicked Rhoads’ post which led him to the latter’s official Instagram page.

Other Twitter users also noticed that Rhoads’ post had the mark that it was “edited.”

Another Twitter user shared that she sent Rhoads a direct message on Instagram to make him aware of his initial caption’s implications.

“As someone who appreciates the arts, the post is kinda petty,” she wrote to him.

Rhoads replied that “it’s petty for other ppl [sic]” to “teach him how to live.”

He also added that he does not understand why people would get “mad” at him since it was a “joke” and the Notre Dame Cathedral was “just a building.”

Other users claimed that he disabled the comments section of the particular post after receiving criticisms.

The Notre Dame Cathedral fire

The Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday evening (Tuesday early morning on Manila time) was engulfed by huge flames found to be “potentially linked” to intense restoration work.

The 300-foot oak spire of the famed Gothic structure was destroyed but its main edifice has been “saved and preserved” as well as its towers, according to Paris fire brigade chief Jean-Claude Gallet.

Thousands of artworks were transferred to the Louvre Museum, which included historical relics like Jesus Christ’s crown of thorns and French King Saint-Louis’s 13th-century tunic

Notre Dame Cathedral is an 850-year-old UNESCO world heritage landmark that is considered the most famous French Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages.

It was initially built in 1160 and completed in the mid-12th century after an estimated 200 years of work.

The cathedral also houses an 18th-century pipe organ considered one of the oldest in the world.

Malacañang expressed the Philippines’ sympathies to France after the tragic incident, saying that its “thoughts and prayers are with the people of France as well as in solidarity with the rest of the world.”

French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to restore the cathedral to an “even more beautiful” state in five years while various donors have pledged to offer over 700 million euros to its restoration.