"Bless your heart" is a phrase common to the Southern United States.
[1][2] The phrase has multiple meanings and is used to express genuine sympathy but sometimes as an insult that conveys condescension, derision, or contempt.
Meanings range from sincerity to exasperation,[3] and are primarily imparted through context and tone.
"[1][5] In 2016, Nikki Haley, then governor of South Carolina, received extensive press coverage for saying the phrase in response to an attack by presidential candidate Donald Trump.
[6][7][8] Speaking about ex-husband Ben Affleck's large back tattoo of a rising phoenix, Jennifer Garner said, "You know what we would say in my hometown about that?