12 Celebrities Who Should Probably Re-Think Their Allegiance to the New England Patriots, Donald Trump's Favorite Football Team
In case you hadn’t heard by now, the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams are going head to head in Super Bowl LIII, and this year the big game happens to be a momentous occasion for a few reasons. The Rams used to belong to St. Louis, and for the first time in decades, the city of Angels has a shot at winning the big game. And because L.A. is involved, this particular Super Bowl also happens to be a rivalry of the century: an East Coast vs. West Coast competition that could stir up as much drama as the notorious feud between New York vs. California hip hop. There’s also the fact that the Patriots being given the seal of approval from Donald Trump, who not only happens to be a big fan of the team (and the nationalistic ideals that it represents), but is also chums with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (who was chastised by many ahead of the 2016 Presidential Election, when he revealed that Trump sent him a “Make America Great Again” hat that somehow made its way into his locker) and the team’s coach, Bill Belichick. While most of Hollywood is rooting for the Rams, there are still those celebrities who remain die-hard Pats fans despite the Trumpian connotations that are now associated with the team. Connections to Donald Trump, the “deflategate” controversy (in which Brady was accused of ordering footballs to be deflated for cheating purposes), and the fact that they are not at all considered underdogs makes the Patriots so unlikeable. This will be the third Super Bowl in a row for the Patriots (they lost last year to the Philadelphia Eagles, a big win for fans of underdog narratives), and many might be asking, how could anyone still pull for the Patriots to win? Well, these 12 celebrities don’t seem to care (or are maybe just using the fact that they hail from Massachusetts as a pass).
Mindy Kaling (but not her baby)
Massachusetts native Mindy Kaling tweeted about how the New England Patriots going to the Super Bowl was tearing her house appart: “Me cheering for the Pats, my daughter cheering on the Rams, my household in upheaval!!”
Matt Damon
Matt Damon is so proud of his status as a Patriots fan (and as Ben Affleck’s bestie) that he at least knows how to have some good fun with it, and appeared in a 2015 sketch on Jimmy Kimmel Live in which he addressed the Deflategate controversy.
Lea Michele
For Lea Michele, a proud Brady fan, Super Bowl LI was the “BEST. DAY. EVER!!!”.
Chris Evans
Perhaps the most disappointing of them all is Chris Evans, a celebrity whose politics align with the left, but whose fandom aligns with the team that Donald Trump—a noted enemy of Evans—has selected to root for in the Super Bowl. Yes, even our very own Captain America has betrayed us.
Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks, another Massachusetts native and self-proclaimed “Masshole for life”, has been rooting for the patriots for years. In 2017 she showed up to the game to watch the Patriots beat the Atlanta Falcons. She’ll be rooting for the Patriots again this year, according to her Twitter.
Elton John
Sir Elton John was once Captain Elton John, when he served as the honorary team captain of the Patriots in 2009.
Jon Bon Jovi
The New Jersey icon is actually a hardcore Patriots fan and even lent one of Bon Jovi's songs, "This Is Our House," for the team to play at their games.
John Krasinski
Another famous Bostonian makes for another famous Patriots fan, but which team is Emily Blunt rooting for?
Mark Wahlberg
Even though Mark Wahlberg portrayed Philadelphia Eagles player Vince Papale in the 2006 film Invincible, he stands with the Patriots. He’s also a Celtics fan. What else would you expect from a guy from Dorchester?
Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake has not had the best of luck with Super Bowl related drama but he went for it anyway and announced via Twitter last year that he was a Patriots fan (or at least a fan of Brady).
Donald Trump
Aside from sending Brady the infamous “Make America Great Again” hat nearly three years ago, Trump has recently expressed his feelings about the Patriots on Twitter by saying: “Congratulations to Bob Kraft, Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the entire New England Patriots team on a great game and season. Will be a fantastic Super Bowl!”