Jason Momoa Apologizes To Fans Over Controversial Sistine Chapel Visit

Jason Momoa took some time off with his team to tour Rome while shooting the tenth installment of the "Fast & Furious" franchise.

The "Aquaman" actor arrived at the Sistine Chapel chapel in Vatican City, where he took photos and videos beneath the renowned Michelangelo painting, which also adorned the walls.

The chapel is known for its strict no-photos rule, which made many fans disgruntled over the preferential treatment. Amid the backlash, Momoa rendered an apology in a candid video.

On Saturday, May 14, Momoa made amends for the offense he caused the public after sharing footage and pictures from the chapel, according to Just Jared.

The 42-year-old had previously shared the content on his personal Instagram page, showing him, his team, and some fans at the famous building. He gushed in the caption, "I LOVE YOU, ITALY. What a beautiful start to our day off enjoying ROMA."

Upset fans took to the comments to clarify that most visitors are banned from capturing any clips or images at the location, and the star had bent the rules due to his celebrity status.

Momoa's apology clip from Just Jared, showed him exercising while shirtless at a gym. He put down his dumbells and approached the camera, saying:

"It's my last day in Rome, and I just love you and Italy. It's been the time of my life. I'm so happy to be working for Universal and obviously Vin [Diesel] and the whole crew picking me."

The "Justice League" star then brought up his controversial trip to the Sistine Chapel, stating:

"If you ever felt that I disrespected your culture, it wasn't my intention. I came here when I was 19 or 20 to experience the Sistine Chapel. I've always wanted to, and now that I can, I gave a wonderful donation to bring my friends and crew because we only had a couple of days off to experience these places."

Following his donation and entry into the historic building, Momoa was surprised to find that people in the building wanted to take photos with him. 

The "Game of Thrones" actor agreed to the requests though he found it off. He explained how the footage came to be, saying, "I was very respectful, and I asked for permission from what I thought would be okay."

Momoa appeared to be distraught by the idea of offending his fans as he buttressed:

"I would never want to do anything to disrespect someone's culture. If I did, I apologize. It was not my intention. I paid to have that private moment and gave a nice donation to the church. I love you. I'm sorry if I offended you."

Momoa and Lisa Bonet parted ways after a two-decade relationship. They tied the knot in November 2007 and share two children, a 14-year-old daughter Lola Lolani and a 13-year-old son Nakoa-Wolf.

The Blast disclosed that the father-of-two is now dating Spanish actress Eiza Gonzalez, as confirmed by PEOPLE. A source told the outlet that:

"They are dating. He cares about her. He's in a great place, working on Fast X. He's quite busy, and he's in a good place."

Another revealed, "They're both busy with work but are having fun together. It's nothing serious yet."

Momoa also attended the premiere of Gonzalez's new movie, "Ambulance" last month. The duo walked the carpet separately to quell romance rumors.

The "Sweet Girl" actor announced his split from Bonet by sharing a joint statement from them on his Instagram account. The former spouses wrote:

"The love between us carries on, evolving in ways it wishes to be known and lived. We free each other to be who we are learning to become."

Momoa was previously rumored to be dating fellow movie star Kate Beckinsale when people noticed he gave her his jacket at the 2022 Vanity Fair's Academy Awards afterparty.

The "Fast & Furious X" actor opened up about the incident, which has sworn him off such chivalrous acts, in an interview with Extra. He said:

"It was cray. Everyone is like, 'Are you dating?' No, no, it was chivalry; the woman was cold. She is very nice. I was being very nice, just being a gentleman. Now, I am not giving my coat to anyone."