Jodie Foster, Michael J. Fox, Keegan-Michael Key and Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi are all expected to speak on Friday at United Talent Agency’s “United Voices” rally outside the company’s Beverly Hills headquarters.
Other speakers at the event — organized in response to the flurry of activity by the nascent administration of President Donald Trump — include UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer, California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Reza Aslan, Cynthia Erivo, Wilmer Valderrama, DJ Cassidy, David Garibaldi, Sam and Casey Harris of X Ambassadors, International Rescue Committee President & CEO David Miliband and American Civil Liberties Union executive Hector Villagra.
Stars such as Sasha Alexander, Jai Courtney, Ted Danson, James Franco, Perez Hilton, Juliette Lewis, Minka Kelly, Bill Nye, Emily Ratajkowski, Retta, Seth Rogen, Mary Steenburgen and Aisha Tyler are also expected to attend.
Earlier this month, the company announced that it was cancelling its annual Oscar party to organize the event, to express “the creative community’s growing concern with anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States and its potential chilling effect on the global exchange of ideas and freedom of expression.”
The company also announced a $250,000 donation to the American Civil Liberties Union and the International Rescue Committee. The ACLU has been at the forefront of the legal battle against President Donald Trump’s travel ban.
Note: The official UTA livestream of the event is no longer online, but Farhadi’s pre-recorded message can be seen above.
8 Stars Who Say Trump Opponents Should Just Get Over It (Photos)
Donald Trump's presidency has largely been met with resistance from Hollywood stars, but a few have taken a different path. Objections to Trump's detractors range from apolitical calls for unity to outright criticism of those protesting in the streets.
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Karl Lagerfeld
Lagerfeld, a German fashion designer and artist, made it clear in an interview with WSJ Magazine in February that American politics is not his area of expertise, but he encouraged Trump critics to come around to the new president.
"I’m not American," he said, "but he’s a democratically elected president … so people have to deal with it.”
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Lindsay Lohan In a Facebook Live interview with the Daily Mail in February, Lohan encouraged people to "join" Donald Trump.
“I think always in the public eye you’re gonna be scrutinized, and he is the president," she said. "We have to join him. If you can’t beat him, join him."
She added, "You know, I think it would be a positive thing for America to show their care and support, and for him to experience what it's like for these people... experience how giving Turkey has been to the refugees and how many they have welcomed in."
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Nicole Kidman
A few weeks before Donald Trump's inauguration, "Lion" star Nicole Kidman took some backlash for saying that Americans "need to support whoever the president is." The actress, who holds dual U.S. and Australian citizenship, later clarified that her comments were simply a call for unity and support of democracy.
During the press tour for his movie "Gold," Matthew McConaughey told the U.K.'s ChannelIFI that it's time for Americans to "embrace" Trump. "It's time to think about how constructive can you be because he's our president," McConaughey said.
"American Psycho" author Bret Easton Ellis accused Trump protesters of "overreaction" at the opening of his art exhibit in London, according to the Irish Examiner. "I don't really know what the path to power is with protest, it's done, this is where we are," the author said, accusing protesters, social media and celebrities of "aiding" divisiveness.
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Cyndi Lauper Madonna took some criticism for her profanity-laden speech at the Women's March, where she said that she's "thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House" following Trump's inauguration. Among those denouncing her statements was Cyndi Lauper, who said "anger is not better than clarity and humanity."
Jennifer Holliday "Dreamgirls" star Jennifer Holliday dropped out of performing at Trump's inauguration after taking heated backlash from those pledging to boycott the event entirely. After apologizing to her fans, Holliday later explained that she thought her performance could've been an act of "healing and unity."
Dave Chappelle When comedian Dave Chappelle returned to host "Saturday Night Live" after the presidential election in November, he encouraged Trump detractors to "give him a chance," adding that "we, the historically disenfranchised, demand that he give us one too."
From Nicole Kidman’s call for ”support“ to Matthew McConaughey saying Americans need to ”embrace“ the new president
Donald Trump's presidency has largely been met with resistance from Hollywood stars, but a few have taken a different path. Objections to Trump's detractors range from apolitical calls for unity to outright criticism of those protesting in the streets.