‘Peloton husband’ gives real girlfriend a bike for Christmas. ‘Pls don’t leave me’

Actor Sean Hunter, who plays the ‘Peloton husband’ in the now-viral bike commercial, is embracing his on-screen persona.

Hunter appears to have given his real girlfriend a Peloton bike for Christmas, posting a snapshot of himself next to his girlfriend alongside the bike.

“Here’s hoping this goes over better the second time.... Merry Christmas to my actual girlfriend (pls don’t leave me)“ he captioned the photo on Instagram.

The controversial commercial features a husband giving a $2,245 Peloton bike to his wife, calling it “the gift that gives back.” It was quickly criticized as tone-deaf and sexist (“Saturday Night Live” even parodied it in its cold-open.)

Hunter spoke out about the commercial in a blog post for Psychology Today.

“My 5 seconds of air time created an array of malicious feedback that is all associated with my face,” he wrote. “My friend texted me today declaring that I’m ‘a symbol of the patriarchy.’”

Actress Monica Ruiz, who played the wife, has also commented about her involvement in the ad.

“I hope people can remember that I’m not actually the Peloton lady and let me work other jobs,” she told Today’s Hoda Kodt.

This story was originally published December 26, 2019 at 9:14 AM with the headline "‘Peloton husband’ gives real girlfriend a bike for Christmas. ‘Pls don’t leave me’."