Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky draw flak for letting daughter India do ‘dangerous’ rodeo

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky online faced backlash as they entered their pre-teen daughter, India Rose, into a steer-riding event on Monday, January 6.

Pataky shared a video on Instagram which showed them anxiously watching from the sidelines as their 12-year-old daughter hopped onto the back of a male calf for the introductory bull riding competition, according to Daily Mail.

Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky let daughter India do rodeo

The video shows India Rose brutally thrown off the steer the second it burst out of the bucking chute. It also showed the couple hyping up their daughter, who was dressed head to toe in safety gear which included a helmet. 

Pataky said, "Woohoo, come on girl" with a beaming smile as she hugged India from behind. Hemsworth gave her a fist bump as he filmed her stepping into the bucking chute to hop on the steer.

The 'Thor' actor's daughter was thrown to the ground on the first buck and she fell to her back as the bullfighters stepped in to distract the steer away from her. She seemed to be unharmed as she left the arena, with her younger brother also taking a crack at steer riding later the same night, per the outlet. 

Pataky captioned the video, "Starting the year with a little bit of adrenaline! Rodeo night! I almost have a heart attack!" She also tagged J&J Rodeo, the NSW company which hosted the event.

Chris Hemsworth teaches son how to backflip

In December 2024, Chris Hemsworth shared a moment with his twin sons, Sasha and Tristan, and showed that the next generation of Hemsworths is just as fearless as their superhero father.

He posted an action-packed video on Instagram showing one of his twin boys attempting a backflip under his guidance. The clip started with the youngster focused intently on Chris’ instructions before he executed a flawless backflip, much to the delight of his father, per Hello Magazine.

Hemsworth joked in the caption, "Just teaching my young bloke the true technique on how to backflip. Kinda like Yoda/Skywalker" and added the hashtag "Haters will say it's fake."

Despite their celebrity status, the couple remains dedicated to keeping life as normal as possible for their children. Their home in Byron Bay offers the perfect setting for an adventurous, outdoor lifestyle, filled with surfing, skateboarding, and endless exploration of the Australian wilderness.

Internet slams Chris Hemsworth and wife Elsa Pataky for letting India do rodeo

Many social media users slammed Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky over the video showing their pre-teen daughter, India Rose, entering into a steer-riding event.

A user said, "Omg ! So dangerous and irresponsible. Poor kids !"

Another added, "This should stop .What a st&pid example for Kids .Nothing to be Proud of !!"

A person stated, "All the leading animal welfare organizations want to ban rodeos. How could you condition your children to think this is ok??" 

A user commented, "That's awful. Rodeos should be banned, not celebrated."

Another wrote, "This is silly fun, the animal is a living creature and is, stressed. One should have compassion and not participate in this silly entertainment, let alone support children in it."

A comment read, "Poor animals.... damn rodeos and bullfighting."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.