There’s been too much pocket-watching of LA-based celebrities in the past week as multiple fires rampaged through Southern California. Only a small percentage of working actors have millions in the bank – most LA-based actors live paycheck to paycheck, or their biggest asset is their home, a home which just burned to the ground. All of which to say, I would like to see people stop screaming at celebrities for not donating to fire-related charities or trying to gatekeep whatever help they are offering. Almost everyone in LA has been touched by this tragedy, whether they’ve lost their homes or apartment buildings, or they had to evacuate or they’re taking in evacuees. Well, I imagine there will be screams of “she could do more/why is donating specifically to this group” with this story. Beyonce is donating $2.5 million to the LA Fire Relief Fund, and she’s earmarked the funds specifically to help Pasadena and Altadena. Altadena was full of historically Black neighborhoods which have now been burned to the ground.
Beyoncé has donated a large sum to support the communities tragically affected by the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles. On Sunday, Jan. 12, the singer’s BeyGOOD foundation announced via Instagram that she was giving $2.5 million toward an L.A. Fire Relief Fund started by her charity.
“Los Angeles we stand with you. 🫶🏽” the caption of the post read. “BeyGOOD is taking action by announcing the LA Fire Relief Fund with a donation of 2.5 million dollars.”
“The fund is earmarked to aid families in the Altadena/Pasadena area who lost their homes, and to churches and community centers to address the immediate needs of those affected by the wildfires,” the caption continued.
She urged people to visit the BeyGOOD website to “show your support for the impacted families,” as well as to learn more about her public charity foundation, which she founded in 2013.
The donation comes after the L.A. County Medical Examiner confirmed the death toll from the devastating wildfires had risen to 24 on Sunday evening. Per the Medical Examiner, 16 of the people killed in the blaze were in the Eaton fire zone, while eight were found around the Palisades area.
It’s her money and she can earmark it however she likes. It makes sense to me that she’s drawing attention to the historically Black neighborhoods and the Black and minority communities of Altadena. Beyonce and Jay-Z also own two mansions in Southern California – a mansion in Bel Air, and a mansion in Malibu. I don’t know if Bey’s homes have been affected, but Beyonce’s mom Tina lost her home in the fires last week.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.
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- Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles premiere of Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” at Dolby Theatre. Pictured: Jay-Z, Beyoncé BACKGRID USA 9 DECEMBER 2024 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles premiere of Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” at Dolby Theatre. Pictured: Beyoncé BACKGRID USA 9 DECEMBER 2024 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Democratic nominees Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz campaign event at Shell Energy Stadium Featuring: Beyonce Where: Houston, Texas, United States When: 25 Oct 2024 Credit: MediaPunch/INSTARimages
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- Democratic nominees Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz campaign event at Shell Energy Stadium Featuring: Beyonce Where: Houston, Texas, United States When: 25 Oct 2024 Credit: MediaPunch/INSTARimages
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- Democratic nominees Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz campaign event at Shell Energy Stadium Featuring: Beyonce, Kelly Rowland Where: Houston, Texas, United States When: 25 Oct 2024 Credit: MediaPunch/INSTARimages
It’s good that Beyonce has earmarked the money to Altadena which was not getting as much attention in the press as Pacific Palisades and Malibu.
I knew nothing about Altadena until I heard VP Harris talking about it at a White House briefing. These are homes that have been in families for many generations and often there is more than one generation occupying the home. The residents of Altadena also often work in that community so they have lost both their homes and their livelihoods, per MVP. Too many people think everyone who lives in southern California is wealthy and white. Altadena apparently grew out of red lining many years ago. Let’s hope that such racist practices will be eliminated as communities rebuild.
It is sort of astonishing how much we’re hearing about the impact on celebrities. I don’t recall any prior LA disaster affecting this many big names. It really drives home how real this is. No one is safe. The climate crisis is indiscriminate and there’s no more denying it or hiding from it. Mygawd people vote like science is real. 😭
We are seeing in real time how being rich will not save you. I hope all those corporate executives who contributed to this and built bunkers and mountain retreats thinking they’d be safe from the consequences of their actions are seeing this. Nowhere will be safe.
Good for Beyonce and others who are using their platforms and foundations to help where its needed.
Good for her!! It’s her money and she can donate to whoever she feels needs it the most. Some donate clothes and other goods. Some donate to food suppliers. There is so much needed to help. I think I read that Taylor Swift donated 10 million to a cause and Travis donated 1million and it all helps.
Can anyone confirm what is being said about reservoirs being empty and delaying access to water for fire suppression?
It appears that was misinformation that the right wing picked up and ran with.
One of the reservoirs was empty because it was undergoing repairs prior to the fires starting however experts have said it wouldnt have made a material difference even if it was full. I also read no city anywhere would have been able to keep the amount of water needed flowing. It’s scary and sad. Sounds like residents need to be proactive in clearing brush and keeping their landscaping well watered and builders need to use fire resistant materials. Even then, there is no guarantee.
It wasn’t that there was an overall lack of water. What happened to some of the pumps higher up was that the discharge rate of water going out was faster than the tanks could recharge. The tanks have to recharge to generate enough pressure to get the water flowing.
I also want to point out that groundwater is not used to fight wildfires. They needed to get planes up in the air to dump water and fire retardants, but the 85 mph wind gusts prevented them from getting up there on that first night. It was too dangerous. Commercial airliners even had to turn around because they could not land safely on the airport runway in those weather conditions. That was the problem. The one reservoir being empty was not the main issue here. The main issue is climate change, which led to the dry conditions and the unprecedented Santa Ana winds in January.
It’s lovely that Beyonce is donating money. But honestly, wouldn’t it be nice if our government provided effective, immediate disaster relief services? Maybe they could be funded by white boy billionaires paying their taxes.
Yes i came get to say the same. We wouldn’t have to rely on the largesse of billionaires if corporations and billionaires were taxed fairly and not given so many breaks, subsidies and other forms of feeding off the public-funded commons. Local governments, especially, have strict budgets and there is neve enough money to go where it is needed even if these governelments were perfect and not often corrupt. What do people expect will happen if there is not enough money in the coffers?
I am sure any money and donations are appreciated no matter the amount. The person I was going to respond to about Beyonce only donating 2.5 million has been deleted. Good. Just like MM I am tired of the gate keeping.
The comment you are referring to has been deleted, as per the introduction to this article which that person surely did not read. -edit- you edited this my friend, thanks!
You saved me from having my blood pressure go up!! 😂
All those deaths are devastating. And it will take a long time for many of these people to recover from losing everything. It’s wonderful to hear about donations.
I appreciate Beyoncé’s earmark for these locations and the fact that Meghan and Harry specifically went to those places to help. I feel for all the people in all the locations losing their homes, celebrities and non-celebrities.
That’s fantastic. Her money it goes where she wants. Like I said we are really seeing celebrities true faces here. Those that help, those don’t
I wrote about Altadena on celebitichy, I am so glad that Bey is doing for this area and bringing it to the forefront. I noted that my cousin has lived there for 58 years and was told to evacuate. They left with nothing but their clothes and lost everything. Altadena was a beautiful community, my children had never seen citrus trees growing in someone’s yard until I took them there. They only thought that rich people had this. In talking to my cousin she said she only broke down crying when she went shopping for clothes. Then she realized she and her husband had nothing left. Fortunately they went to live with her daughter where they can be comfortable. Most of the people don’t have the the place to take a hot bath or have a hot meal.
Wls in the bottom of the story about Halle Berry today and if you go to her Instagram there is a video with information on how to get clothes in LA. If your cousin’s daughter isn’t too far from there she can pick some up herself but they will also drive people to her location with needed supplies. They seem incredibly sincere about this and have a lot of supplies. It might be worth it to ask your cousin to go to Halle’s Instagram.
Thank you so very much I will send her the information
Wls I saw this on Mark Ruffalo’s Instagram, they have new clothes and supplies, and it’s open until January 21st from 10-6
https://www.instagram.com/p/DEx3CiFSEUo/
I 😍 reading autobiographies and biographies about Hollywood stars…past and present and I NEVA forgot one I read from George Sanders (I think) who said that even back in the day…there was a LOT of perpetuating going on in Hollywood regarding folks who had REAL money and folks who were living above their means because they HAD to present a certain way of life to be able to be taken seriously by the press and the public AND the studios…which is why he said he preferred working and living in Europe because he didn’t have to deal with all of that…
Folks would be SHOCKED to know how many of those actors who lost homes were ACTUALLY renting them along with the furniture for OBSCENE amounts a month 😱
I also think about the folks I’ve seen on my favorite show HGTV “House Hunters”…who have bought homes in the area…especially recently…working-class folks who spent almost a $1M for a 3/2 who now have nothing!
And what about the labor/machinery to get those houses/buildings rebuilt…you know who the majority of the folks who work in construction? IMMIGRANTS! Good LUCK with that now that we have POS Trump in charge and a rabid anti-immigrant Republican Party…
And to think for YEARS…I worried about Southern California being decimated by earthquakes 😢
She stepped up in a big way and highlighted a community that was getting overlooked. She did good and it’s a generous donation. It makes me happy to see so many people step up whether it’s giving their time, their money, or other resources.
I love her for this, and for earmarking it for a neighborhood really in need.