Australian actor Chris Hemsworth. Photo / Getty Images
Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth has taken the unusual step of publicly responding to a media report claiming he'd ordered a "fleet of water trucks" to water the gardens of his Byron Bay mega-mansion.
The Thor star, 36, shared with his 38 million Instagram followers a screenshot of a Daily Mail article claiming he'd ordered the trucks to water his new "A$1 million garden" amid Australia's bushfire and drought crisis.
"Lies!" Hemsworth wrote over the screenshot.
"This is a complete lie. Normally I wouldn't respond to false articles like this but it bothers me a lot. The water truck was purely for drinking water because like everyone in the region who is not connected to town water we have run out of potable water due to the drought. NONE of my garden is fed by drinking water. Thanks for your concern #dailymail and thanks for adding more distress to an already brutal situation the whole country is dealing with. Merry Xmas," wrote Hemsworth.
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Hemsworth and wife Elsa Pataky bought the 4.2 hectare property south of Byron Bay for A$7 million in 2014, and demolished the existing eight-bedroom Balinese-style resort so they could build their dream home in its place.
The couple's $20 million hilltop home is finally nearing completion after several years of construction.
"We just put a big roof for the solar. That's it. That's the only thing that we wanted is to have solar," Pataky said in a radio interview last month.
The inclusion of the solar panels comes as no surprise, given the family have long been environmental advocates, recently taking part in the Byron Bay Climate Strike 4 School event.
The controversial dwelling, which has been branded "obscene, greedy, flashy and vulgar" by irate locals, features six bedrooms, a gym, steam room, media room, games room, vast outdoor living and play areas and a 50-metre rooftop infinity pool rumoured to have cost A$400,000 alone.
It has even been blamed for pushing the median property price in the area north of A$1.75 million.
Back in July, Hemsworth offered fans a first look inside the mansion, revealing a mural he had commissioned by artist Otis Hope Cary to fill a "big empty wall" in the home.
"In this piece, Otis utilises traditional symbols and imagery in grandiose scale in a display of contemporary practice and thought," Hemsworth said in an Instagram post showcasing the massive wall art:
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