The Sexist Reason People Are Blaming Jennifer Lawrence For Anna Faris & Chris Pratt's Split

The immediate fan reaction to Anna Faris and Chris Pratt's breakup happened in two waves. First, there was disbelief. How could this picture-perfect celebrity couple be calling it quits?

Then, there was anger. Specifically, anger directed at a particular person that some people think is responsible for the happy couple's demise: Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence and Pratt costarred on Passengers back in 2016, and fans, eager for an explanation, are blaming the actress for breaking up the couple — despite the fact that there's no proof she and Pratt's relationship was anything other than professional.

"I don't know why but I blame Jennifer Lawrence for Chris and Anna getting divorced," one Twitter user wrote.

"Chris Pratt and Anna Farris are filing for divorce," added another. "I feel like Jennifer Lawrence has a role in this."

Other fans think they know what's next:

"Today's Headline: Chris Pratt and Anna Faris separating. Next Month's Headline: Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence dating."

Where is this all coming from? Why is Jennifer Lawrence's name getting dragged through the mud and not Pratt's other female co-stars, like Aubrey Plaza or Bryce Dallas Howard? Perhaps it's this moment from Faris' podcast, "Anna Faris Is Unqualified", when, the Daily Mail reports, the mother addressed the rumours that Lawrence and Pratt were becoming more than just friends on set:

"It made me feel incredibly insecure," she told Isla Fisher. "Chris and I, we talk about this a lot. We grapple with a lot of the ideas of being a public couple."

But, like most things involving women in Hollywood, the problem's a whole lot bigger. It comes down to society's relentless habit of viewing women as sex objects, and our tendency to blame them for being too loud, too revealing, or, in other words, "asking for it," while not subjecting men to the same scrutiny.

To be clear, all parties have denied that there was any infidelity involving Lawrence, and we have no reason to think that there was, but prematurely shifting blame entirely onto the actress signifies that we would give Pratt a free pass. That's sexism, plain and simple, and it's a mindset we should recognise — and steer clear from. Pratt and Faris are clearly going through a difficult time, and the kindest thing we can do as fans is to leave them well alone.