I’m not really a fan of celebrities “quietly donating” or “secretly donating” money to charity. I’ve spoken about this many times – one of the best ways any celebrity can use their fame and their fandom is to openly raise awareness about various charities and use their platform to encourage others to donate. Most celebrities get this, and that’s why they’ll post information on their social media about where they’re donating or how their fans can donate. Well, Jennifer Aniston has never really been like that – we know she works with St. Jude’s and some other charities, but she’s rarely announced her charitable donations. Last week, Jennifer posted something on her Instagram about Black Lives Matter and a Colors of Change petition. As it turns out, Aniston then quietly confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that she also donated:
Jennifer Aniston is backing up her commitment to the fight against racial injustice with a sizable donation. The Morning Show actress — who has been very open in her support with the recent protests against police brutality and racial injustice — is using her money to help the cause.
A source tells ET that Aniston has quietly donated large sums of money to several charities, including Colors Of Change, to the tune of nearly $1 million. According to the source, the actress spread out her charitable donations to several “worthy organizations” dedicated to the battle against systemic racism and discrimination.
Good for her. I would have assumed that this would be the kind of hot topic Aniston would generally avoid, but it’s a whole new Aniston lately. She’s on Instagram, she’s talking about Black Lives Mattering and she’s quietly putting money where her mouth is. I would love to know which other organizations or charities got Aniston’s money. But the thought occurred to me that maybe Aniston is doing this lowkey because she – wisely – doesn’t want to become the face of anything. Just an ally from a distance, donating money and showing support. It’s not the worst move.
In addition to doing that Blackout thing a week ago (where she actually wrote Black Lives Matter), Aniston posted this clip of James Baldwin:
Photos courtesy of WENN, Instagram.
I wonder If her morning show gig helped to open her eyes. I consider myself a feminist and pretty well-informed/realistic. Last year I read “Invisible Women: Exposinf Data bias in a world designed for men” and it changed my whole life. I always Knew the patriarchy/classist creation of culture but something about a whole book of global statistics blew my mind. I wonder If she had a similar moment.
That James Baldwin clip is something isn’t it? I hadn’t seen that. Wow. Chills. And still, we ask for more time.
Very good of her to donate as they can use all the money they can get.
But how is this classified as quietly when we all know of it?
Because once she began posting about BLM on Instagram the media contacted her to ask if she was also donating. She did not announce it on Instagram herself. That’s why. The media are watching these celebrities like hawks hoping for a gotcha moment. So they (the media) are following up on everything.
Thanks got it
The organization is Color of Change, not Colors. ET and the rest of the white media keep showing their a$$es. Diversity isn’t a concept, it’s a necessity.
Yeah, I agree, it’s not quiet. It’s a donation that her PR people then announce as “quiet.” She’s donating and posting the right messages, so tons of power to her for that – it’s a great start. But let’s not pretend that her donations aren’t also being carefully leaked as quiet – I just don’t buy that at all. I’ve seen huge anonymous donations. It can be done.
It’s great she’s using her platform on Instagram to show support as well as quietly donating. I can’t help it, I like her.
Didn’t she make racist jokes about Brad pitt’s (adopted) children?
No, she didn’t. And with that, I’m outta this thread. No matter what goes on in the world these old 90’s ladies just can’t let it go. they don’t care about anything else. here’s another one below me. Some sort of batisht signal goes out. I’d say move on, but, come on now. LOL That aint happening. Bye!
Her friend Chelsea Handler did
Lol what are you even talking abt?? Get outta this thread no one gives a crap.
But did she stay quiet about what her friend did? I’m of two minds as to whether she needed to say anything – her friend Chelsea is not her responsibility. On the other hand, she’s had plenty of friends that seem really gross, including Chelsea, and passively supporting racists is supporting racists.
I dont think she is friends with Chelsea Handler anymore.
LOL, this is gonna turn into a Jen vs Ange thread, I already figured. If one hates Jen nothing Jen does is gonna be good enough for that person. Jen is not responsible for what her friend said or did, please let’s not go there. And people need to quit making these threads a hatefest of one or the other woman.
@Babs THANK YOU! It gets tiresome.
Darla@
Amen!
Agree with everything you wrote.
Nothing she ever does is good enough.
She does nothing and people complain she doesn’t care.
She donates money and people still bitch.
This a whole lot better than some celebs who have done jack shit when it comes to using their platform.
I’m half black and I appreciate she donated.
Enough already.
I remember her making some sarcastic joke about babysitting all his kids. It was Aniston and not Chelsea who said this… but it was not racist.
No she didn’t and she isn’t friends with Chelsea anymore.
not true – she is still close to her and she spends time at her house. Her and Melissa have been disparaging towards Angie during the divorce as well as the rest of them.
These are very illuminating times. We have allies we didn’t know about and enemies we didn’t know about. I was extremely surprised and very happy to see Jennifer Anniston giving a sh*t. Also I am happy that people are talking about James Baldwin again because he was one of my all time favorite writers and thinkers
She and her friends. I sm sorry but she is still as phony as Ellen and her ex in my eyes. There was nothing quiet about her donation. Maybe her one black friend is advising her accounting for the change or maybe she finally woke up. Because I don’t know what black person other than TV paid hosts that care about a new Friends . So get ready for at least 2 black faces in the sequel. Can you tell I am not a fan.
With the way things are now I doubt if that friends reunion or whatever will happen again. That show was no representation of people of color and repeating that will be a huge blunder for them
She donates a million dollars and uses her platform and you are still complaining. I appreciate her financial donation a lot more than the celebrities posting photos of themselves at protests for likes. Her large financial donation will make a difference, you complaining on a gossip site won’t.
Totally agree Lotus. She did a really positive and helpful thing for the movement against racial injustice. That’s all.
if she does it quietly, people complain that she’s “not using her fame” to bring attention to this issue.
if she announces, people complain that she “didn’t really do it quietly”…and she’s not even the one who used that word, ET did.
I think the people who are complaining about this gesture, quiet or loud as it may be, are just people who already don’t like her and will find fault in anything she does.
It seems they inflated her donation, it came out from the tabloid mirror which her PR uses all the time to write about her, thay said she donated usd 1 million, now people mag its just nearly Usd 1 million, so i get the feeling that its much less than that thats why they are being very vague about and just added fhe word nearly for their press release to save face.
@jade I dont understand why you would even bother to make this statement? You are really nitpicking on weather it was 1 million or nearly one million? Who cares. She is being proactive and on the right side. There was no need to criticize her donation.
I don’t think it’s wrong to bring up that there’s a disparity between the amounts listed. It is weird that one publication would state 1 million when that clearly wasn’t true. It’s not a slight against Aniston so much as pointing out crap reporting.
Get a grip team. They are tabloids. No one is filing their taxes based on their financial reporting numbers.
@Cee, how unhelpful. George Floyd needed somebody, anybody, to come to his rescue. Do you think he cared whether they passed a purity test of their intentions first? You can miss me with your shortsightedness.
Regardless of what’s gone on before, we need every white person who is willing and able to use their voice and money where possible to help overturn this abusive power structure and bring about lasting change. If JA has been quietly donating to the cause for a while, great! And if she’s just started, so what? Did you know that one of the psychological impacts of helping someone is that you are more likely to grow to like them?
Please, let’s not discourage people from helping to push the BLM boulder up the mountain just as we’re gaining momentum. The climb is too steep, treacherous and unpredictable.
I’m half black and I think it’s awesome she donated.
So much more than celebrities just putting up black squares.
She is putting her money where her mouth is which is more than I can say for half of Hollywood.
Stop ragging on her for every little thing.
I’m a Angie fan and the JA is played out as hell.
Picking on every little thing.
Y’all need to stop.
Let it go already.
You complain she doesn’t do anything and then when she does you still complain smh.
Do you regularly feel the need to announce that you are half Black to get people to hear you? I’m so curious about your experience, given that you did it twice in one thread.
Also, since Black people aren’t a monolith, you stating your opinion doesn’t really need to be backed up by your Census report.
Good for her and the charities she’s supporting
Good for her. This is preferable to, say, Ryan and Blake’s dog and pony show around their donation. This seems like a time for white people to say as little as possible, unless of course they are calling someone out on their racism. I don’t think it’s the time to hear all about white people’s “journey” or “growth.”
If white people are supposed to be addressing white supremacy, yeah. We need to let white people explore. We’ve been taught that it’s not our struggle, not our fight – it IS our struggle, it IS our fight. Hell, it IS our fault. Some of my ancestors (assuming my genealogy work is correct) had a LOT to do with the way America became America, and my ancestors kept people enslaved (and they were solely in the north). I guess “guilt” isn’t the right word for what I feel, thought that’s as close a word as I can get. We can’t have truth and reconciliation with fully one half of the equation being told to shut up.
I’m not saying that white voices should drown out black voices, but nothing is going to change if white people to remain silent and emotionally constipated, leaving family histories unexamined, beliefs unscrutinized. A lot of the way I learn is by listening and talking. I don’t think I’m alone in that.
I hear you. I guess i should have clarified that I meant we don’t need to hear about white celebs’ journeys. Substantive conversations among white people are indeed necessary.
@esmom – Sadly, I think there’s a too-large part of the country that won’t think about these things if a celeb doesn’t say it out loud first. (If that doesn’t sadden a person, I don’t know what will.)
@Betsy – Absolutely. Anyone who thinks black people can do this alone has really not been paying attention. We need allies, and we need them with exactly the mindset and attitude that you have displayed.
I think Ryan and Blake kind of HAD to say something along with it though, or they would have been called on their very problematic stuff immediately. I also think, if it’s sincere, that it’s good and productive for people to talk about their growth, admit past mistakes, and try to do better going forward. But future actions have to live up to that.
Fair points. As always, lucy2!
Jen got it right.
Good on her for doing this.
Completely agree.
More celebrities should use this kind of low-key approach to lead by example.
I think bml got her the moment she publicly showed support, but she WANTED to do this and make sure we get the 1M part because It was said that Angelina gave 200K last week. She HAD to top it, meanwhile Angelina doesn’t give her 2 seconds a day, if she heard it she’s happy she’s the reason Aniston gave 1M to the cause, and she has already moved on to the next cause/organization to help.
Really?? It’s been 20 freaking years. I’m going to say this as loud as possible STOP PITTING WOMAN AGAINST EACH OTHER.
+1
I know, this is ridiculous. Both women have moved on with their lives, both are very generous to charity. It’s a good thing. They’re both good. Move forward.
@Lily
I think this theory is ridiculous. I don’t like Jennifer and she definitely used Chelsea for attacking Angelina, but I doubt she would donate million dollars just to compete with someone.
Maybe she didn’t make it public at first because she realised she hadn’t done enough until now and wants to learn and not make it about herself.
you DO know that it’s 2020, right? and that neither woman probably gives the other one much thought besides “hey, we BOTH survived a marriage to an abusive jerk”?
seriously, please move on.
Seriously. These women live rent free in your head. I doubt they care for each other, but I highly doubt either are motivated by what the other does anymore. But hey if you wanna write that inevitable Grey Gardens-esque fan fiction for them, have at it.
Jaxomeh,
This comment about grey gardens is Brilliant lol
Oh my gawd. It’s been FIFTEEN YEARS since Pitt & Aniston divorced. Move TF on.
Let it go. Neither one of them gives you two seconds a day, either.
She donated and she donated a lot. Props to her from a hard-core Angelina fan.
STOP pitting Jen and Ange against each other for god’s sake. This isn’t about “topping” what her so-called nemesis donated, it’s about the world reaching a crisis point in racial relations and being able to do something about it. Honestly, let it the f*ck go!!!
Girl,please get some help.
This obsession you have with angie and jen is beyond unhealthy.
Talk to a professional please lily.
This is not normal behavior at all.
Smh.
Lily,
You have 100 per got to be a troll.
Ain’t no one this crazily obsessed with a stale ass fued no one cares about that happened almost 20 years ago.
Troll harder lol.
Not so quietly, really. She made sure the media reported on her “quiet donation”
She donated. That’s what’s important here. Focus, people.
What’s wrong with that? It will encourage others to do the same. What happened to “we’re all in this together?”
James Baldwin ❤ as for making a donation without posting selfies is I think the way to go. It means contribution to a cause without making it all about yourself. People will use a moment like this just like in time of me too movement to instant put themselves on “the right side”, just because there are no true and real risks nor a cost attached to a photo or a well polished statement and then we all find out half of them are hypocrites with more than one skeleton in their closet.
Matthew Perry also made a statement about Black Lives Matter and apparently has also been to several rallies.
Jennifer Aniston isn’t donating money to compete with Angelina Jolie and she’s not responsible for what comes out of Chelsea Handler’s mouth. Is Angelina Jolie responsible for her father’s statements?
I think the difference is that Angelina makes clear that she does not agree with her father’s statements, and was estranged from him for quite a while because of his views (especially his views toward women). Many people were waiting/hoping for Jen to distance herself from Chelsea’s statements since the two were so tight at the time the statements were made.
Staying silent is not staying neutral. I think that’s what disappointed so many people and what made so many people “blame” Jen for Chelsea’s racist attacks against children. That, and the fact that people believed that Chelsea was on the attack as a favor to Jen.
Jen did what she always does, she backed away quietly without turning it into a media free-for-all. Staying silent is equivalent to “mind your own fucking business”, not deliberately condoning something. I would NEVER make public some of the disputes I’ve had with people, trying to get them to pick sides or defend me. I fight my own battles quietly and with dignity and that’s exactly what Jen did.
No one but serious celeb gossip readers know about Chelsea Handler’s comments re Jolie and Pitt and Jolie’s children. If Aniston gave it coverage, it would end up in the supermarket-aisle rags. Why would she give that any more coverage than it got (not that much).
My point is any White celebrities who never called out racism before George Floyd either do it:
1. For Pr
2. Because they will be called out if they don’t do it.
Have you notice the only one that talked about BLM are the one on social média, the celebrities that are not on social média we don’t hear about them.
You seeing a lot of red carpet interviews? Lots of interviews in general? Or are we hearing from those on social media because not much else is happening?
Everyone’s on social media. How do you know the celebrities who aren’t on social media are actively avoiding involving themselves or donating to BLM? You don’t and it diminishes the work of many celebrities who are and have been working behind the scenes for decades to end racism. Just because they aren’t blabbing about it all over the media doesn’t mean they’re not doing it and just because they mention it doesn’t mean they’re shamelessly self-promoting.
This is good
Down to white guilt me thinks. Lets not forget Friends – never had much diversity. Did she ever advocate for more diversity? All the power and money she has never used it to have more diversity in her films and behind the scenes.
@kay
So she still donated.
Seems she has become more woke and educated.
You would rag on her if she didn’t say or do anything and complain.
She donates and you complain.
You just don’t like her and pick on everything she does.
She could cure cancer and you would find something to criticize.
She donated and made multiple posts about on her Instagram.
Stop finding every little thing to pick in and let it go already.
I am extremely happy she donated,
We need all the support we can get right now.
Kay /ranny/lily/jade I think is the same poster.Always extremely similar comments that always show up on Aniston/jolie/Pitt threads.
Try a little harder to change your style,
Because it’s become very obvious it’s the same person lol.
The issue is about racism and more has to be done about this. Institutional racism has been around for hundreds of years in America everyone is aware of this – Malcolm X, MLK. People should be called out and hopefully there will be a commitment to change in the future by calling out racism in Hollywood and making active decisions about supporting politicians and institutions that will make a different to black lives.
Nothing wrong with not donating quietly or leaking it not so subtly. These organisations benefit from the mere idea of big name celebs donating to them; it raises their profiles and attracts more donations/support. Aniston is worth $300 million and will be easily worth half a billion within 20 years as she has access to the best money managers in the world.
Good on her! Whether she released this or not, as soon as she made a comment its bound to attract questions of why or if she’s putting her money where her mouth is!
I’m glad she did. Meanwhile her ex husband has been photographed riding next to protests as if its another day in summer!!