As the Los Angeles-area fires tear through the city, the entertainment industry has shown solidarity with the thousands of people affected by the fast-moving blaze.
The destructive and life-threatening fires have caused near-total decimation of the Pacific Palisades. At least 10 people have died, over 180,000 residents have evacuated and more than 10,000 structures and homes have been demolished, NBC News reported. According to The Wall Street Journal, these fires are set to be the costliest in U.S. history, with an estimated $50 billion in total damage.
But the total carnage has galvanized some members of the entertainment industry to step in to aid those who tragically lost their homes to the natural disaster. Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis has taken the initiative to give back in this time of need, even though she and her family were among the evacuees.
Curtis wrote on Instagram, “My family is donating $1 million today to the relief efforts. We are in contact with Governor Newsom, Mayor Bass and Senator Schiff and I will post often about where you can send needed resources to reputable agencies.”
The actress became emotional about the fires on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” on Wednesday, saying, “As you know, where I live is on fire right now. This is literally where I live. Everything – the market I shop in, the schools my kids go to – friends, many, many, many, many, many friends have lost their homes now.”
Even former royals Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have stepped in to alleviate some of the devastation in Los Angeles. On the couple’s website, they urged people to “give back” and provided numerous donation links and resources for those in search of a way to help. People Magazine reported that the Sussexes have opened their Montecito home, 90 miles north of L.A., to their friends and loved ones forced to evacuate.
In their statement, the couple pleaded with Angelenos to give back to their community and open their doors too.
“Open your home,” they wrote. “If a friend, loved one, or pet has to evacuate and you are able to offer them a safe haven in your home, please do. And be sure to check in with any disabled or elderly neighbors to see if they need help evacuating.”
Other celebrities like Sharon Stone and Halle Berry have banded together to donate gently used clothes to a retail store called The Coop in the Fairfax neighborhood of Los Angeles, KTLA reported.
Berry shared on Instagram, “I’m packing up my entire closet and heading over to The COOP! If you live in the Southern California area, I urge you to do the same.”
She shouted out Stone for her “leadership” and said, “This is something we can do right now, today, to help all of the displaced families that are in need of the basics today!”
The music industry is also jumping in to show its support. The Recording Academy, the body in charge of the Grammys, and its nonprofit MusiCares, have joined forces with the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort to support artists and music industry professionals affected by the fires. The Recording Academy has pledged to kick the fund off with a $1 million donation, Variety reported. The effort is accepting donations and music industry workers can apply on MusiCares’ website.
“The entire Grammy family is shocked and deeply saddened by the situation that is unfolding in Los Angeles,” Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a press release.
“The music community is being so severely impacted but we will come together as an industry to support one another,” the statement read. “Our organizations exist to serve music people because music is a powerful force for good in the world, and we hope the broader industry will now rally to this cause.”
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