Larry Ellison's surprise $200 million donation to USC Cancer Research topped performers and Hollywood heavyweights at the 3rd Rebels with a Cause event at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, on Wednesday night.
Arnold Schwarzenegger strolled in, tanner and shorter in person, parting the red carpet sea.
James Corden hosted the night, opening with an R-Rated parody of Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself." Sample lyric: "Cancer we don't like you, and we like everyone, and this is a country that let Donald Trump run ... since you like the way you hurt so much, cancer you can go and f--k yourself."
Bieber's manager Scooter Braun had the best view of the Corden parody, seated at table 46 overlooking the stage. His wife Yael Braun likely appreciated it, as she founded "F--k Cancer," a youth-skewing cancer prevention and detection group. Their benefit has Martin Garrix performing on May 19.
Leona Lewis and Christina Aguilera posed backstage. Aguilera performed semi-acoustic versions of "Beautiful" and "Stronger" to close the night.
Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda: legit friends. Not just on-screen buddies.
Julianne Hough and Leona Lewis, who performed her song "Fire Under My Feet."
Kristin Chenoweth jokingly scolded Corden for his vocabulary. "In the south, we don't use the f-word," she said before singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
Larry Ellison's announcement came as a surprise to the room. On stage with Dr. David Agus (right), he described the type of interdisciplinary cancer research center that Agus champions, before asking how much that would cost. When Agus replied "about $200 million," Ellison said that he was going to pay for it.
The $200 million announcement initially went over the heads of everyone in the room. It just seemed implausible. When people caught on, they gave a standing ovation.
The USC center for transformative cancer research will be built in Santa Monica. USC President C.L. Max Nikias will welcome Ellison to the USC stage as commencement speaker this week.
For a non-televised show, the production values were unusually high. Don Mischer, who regularly produces the Oscars, Emmys, Olympic opening ceremonies, and Super Bowl halftime shows produced the night.
Leona Lewis opened over dinner.
Ellison greets the Governator on an unusually chilly May night.
Sandy and David Ellison chaired the evening, posing with fellow mega-philanthropists Cheryl and Haim Saban.
Guy Oseary and Lionsgate Co-President Erik Feig.
Jason Clarke (right) is slated to play Ted Kennedy in an upcoming "Chappaquiddick" pic. He arrived with Cecile Breccia.
This pair had a few guests asking, "Who is that?" It's Linda Ramone, Johnny Ramone's widow and musician J.D. King.
"In Hollywood, for a good humanitarian reason, people will show up," super producer Jerry Bruckheimer told TheWrap of the heavy guest list.
David Foster, Erin Foster, Tommy Haas and the under-appreciated Sara Foster.
Get thee to the Lionsgate table, Jon Feltheimer and Erik Feig.
The pioneering researcher who has gone "mass" on Howard Stern and "Today", David Agus, Amy Povich Agus, Niki NIkias and USC President Nikias.
"The Birth of a Nation" producer Ed Zwick will be on lots more red carpets to come in the next 8-9 months.
Colin Freeman and Lorna Luft. Luft is a singer, actress, and daughter of Judy Garland who is one of Dr. Agus' success stories.
Guy and Michelle Oseary.
Power lawyer Skip Brittenham and Charles Perez.
