Reese Witherspoon, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Aniston: See Who's Given $500k, More to Fight Harassment
Hollywood A-listers are putting serious money into battling sexual harassment — with some superstars chipping in six figures and even more.
The Time’s Up movement, which launched on Monday to help fight systemic sexual harassment in Hollywood and beyond, has raised over $13 million for a legal defense fund — mostly thanks to generous donations by some of the biggest names in the industry.
Director Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw donated $2 million through their Wunderkinder Foundation, the largest sum so far. Star Wars director J.J. Abrams and his wife Katie McGrath contributed $1 million along with most of the major talent agencies in Hollywood.
Movement starters Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Shonda Rhimes all donated $500,000, while Taylor Swift and Oprah Winfrey chimed in with $100,000 each. Natalie Portman, Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain and Cate Blanchett continued the donations with $50,000 each.
The list continues with hundreds of prominent actresses and actors donating thousands of dollars to start a fund for less privileged women and men who have experienced sexual harassment, assault, or abuse in the workplace and while in pursuit of their careers.
Over 300 prominent actresses and female agents, writers, directors, producers and entertainment executives signed an impassioned open letter that officially announced the movement on New Year’s Day.
“The struggle for women to break in, to rise up the ranks and to simply be heard and acknowledged in male-dominated workplaces must end; time’s up on this impenetrable monopoly,” the letter in the New York Times read.
The open letter noted that the group is leaderless and rather works collectively to help work toward a solution. Time’s Up initiatives include the legal defense fund to help less privileged women, a mission to reach gender parity at studios and talent agencies, legislation to penalize companies that tolerate harassment and a call for women walking the red carpet at the Golden Globes to speak out and raise awareness by wearing black.
Time’s Up began meeting in early October after a wave of allegations was spurred by a slew of stories alleging sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein.
“We have been siloed off from each other,” Witherspoon told the NYT. “We’re finally hearing each other, and seeing each other, and now locking arms in solidarity with each other, and in solidarity for every woman who doesn’t feel seen, to be finally heard.”
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