'My Mom's a Lesbian': Dave Bautista Reveals He Covered Manny Pacquiao Tattoo Over His Homophobic Remarks

An old video of Dave Bautista has resurfaced in which he explained why he chose to cover up a tattoo dedicated to Manny Pacquiao. The Filipino boxing champion had made homophobic comments, and Bautista said the decision was deeply personal because his mother is a lesbian.

In the video, Bautista stated that he could no longer consider Pacquiao a friend following the incident.

How Bautista and Pacquiao Became Friends

For context, Bautista and Pacquiao, both of Filipino heritage, were once close acquaintances with a shared respect.

Bautista, a former WWE star turned Hollywood actor known for roles in Guardians of the Galaxy and Glass Onion, had a tattoo on his forearm featuring a logo associated with Pacquiao's team.

At one point, Bautista and Pacquiao were publicly seen together, with Bautista even joining Pacquiao's camp at a major boxing event in 2009—specifically when Pacquiao fought Ricky Hatton—which implied a friendly association between them. Around that time, Bautista got a tattoo on his left forearm of a flaming meteor, the same logo Pacquiao used and which appeared on some of his merchandise, including old Nike gear.

This suggested that Bautista looked up to the boxer and saw him as more than a casual friend.

That year, Pacquiao made controversial remarks in an interview with Filipino broadcaster TV5 in which he compared gay people to animals, saying that animals 'recognise male from female' and implying that same‑sex relationships were somehow inferior.

Why Bautista Covered His Manny Pacquiao Tattoo

Bautista, who has long spoken openly about his support for the LGBTQ+ community and his pride in his mother's identity, reacted strongly to Pacquiao's comments. In the X video, Bautista said: 'It's a personal issue for me, my mom's a lesbian,' and explained he felt he could no longer call Pacquiao a friend.

He also reacted with a comment, 'If anyone called my mother an animal, I'd stick my foot up his ass.'

Shortly after Pacquiao's original remarks surfaced in 2016, he offered a public apology on social media, saying he was sorry for hurting people's feelings and that he did not intend to condemn gay individuals.

However, he maintained his opposition to same‑sex marriage and framed his earlier comments as rooted in his interpretation of religious beliefs.

Months of backlash from fans, advocacy groups, and even corporate sponsors followed Pacquiao's remarks. Several major brands distanced themselves, and figures in the entertainment and LGBTQ+ community publicly criticised his language.

What Pacquiao Has Said Since

In later years, Pacquiao has continued to clarify his stance when asked about LGBTQ+ issues.

He has reiterated that he does not reject gay people as individuals and has expressed that his views are shaped by personal or religious beliefs rather than a desire to dehumanise anyone. But he has also stated that he remains opposed to same‑sex marriage, suggesting a nuanced distinction between personal belief and public tolerance.

There is no indication that Pacquiao and Bautista publicly resolved their differences, and Bautista's decision to cover up the Pacquiao‑linked tattoo appears to mark a definitive public break between the two.

Friendship Over

The tattoo's replacement is not the usual celebrity bad blood.

For Bautista, it dissolved a visual marker of friendship that no longer aligned with his personal values or the way he wanted to represent himself, particularly given his advocacy and the importance of family to him.

The exact new design hasn't been publicly detailed, but the purpose of the cover-up was to reclaim the tattoo in line with his personal values

Fans and commentators online reacted with support for Bautista's decision, seeing it as a personal stand against language they viewed as hurtful or discriminatory. As one commenter said, 'homophobia is stupid. everybody deserves love.'