Last week, Jaybird threw up the link for the story about Charlize Theron auctioning off her kiss for $140,000 at a San Francisco event. Charlize ended up kissing one lucky (and rich) lady for 20 seconds as the audience counted down. The whole thing was for charity – the money benefits the OneXOne Foundation, which works on poverty issues in Africa, specifically “water, hunger, healthcare, education and play”. This woman that Charlize made out with was actually bidding on a rather amazing package deal: a 2010 trip to South Africa, tickets to the World Cup, a safari, and a meet-and-greet with Nelson Mandela. Unfortunately for all involved, it seems that Charlize didn’t get Mandela’s permission for such a deal. And now Mandela is refusing to meet with the high bidder! Ruh-roh.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation has accused actress Charlize Theron of selling a meeting with the former leader without permission.
Oscar-winning Theron, 34, raised £85,500 for charity last week by auctioning the chance to visit her native South Africa and meet the elderly former president. The sale hit the headlines when the actress agreed to kiss the highest bidder during a charity gala event in San Francisco.
Images were beamed around the world of Theron locking lips with the lucky female winner, who was due to travel to meet Mr Mandela, 91, during a trip timed to coincide with next year’s football World Cup.
But today a spokesman for the frail former freedom fighter said the meeting might not be possible because Theron had not sought permission from Mr Mandela before arranging the auction.
Achmat Dangor, chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, said: ‘There is a very rigorous process that is followed to secure a meeting with Mr Mandela, and as yet, we have not have had any such request from Charlize Theron.’
The winning bidder at the OneXOne auction may now be told she cannot meet Mr Mandela. Officials said the Foundation would consider any future request received from Theron, but that nothing was certain.
Mr Mandela, who turned 91 in July, has now fully retired from public life and only grants personal audiences to a tiny proportion of those who request them. His spokesman said he did not usually agree to be offered in charity auctions.
Mr Dangor added: ‘It should also be noted that even the charities that he created have never auctioned off time with Mr Mandela. We nevertheless wish Ms Theron well in her charity work.’
Theron is South Africa’s most famous Hollywood actress. She was born on a farm near the town of Benoni in South Africa’s Gauteng province and hit fame in the 1990s with a string of roles in films including The Cider House Rules and The Devil’s Advocate.
In 2004 she received a heroine’s welcome from Mr Mandela when she returned to South Africa after winning a ‘Best Actress’ Oscar for her role in the film Monster. Unable to control her emotion as she shook hands with the veteran freedom fighter in Johannesburg, she burst into tears and told him: ‘I love you so much.’
Despite Mr Mandela’s frail state, his Foundation continues to run charitable and community projects around the world. The former African National Congress activist continues to make occasional public appearances and statements. He lives in Johannesburg with his third wife Graca Machell.
[From The Daily Mail]
First of all, Charlize is an idiot to auction off a meeting with Mandela without his permission. That’s just rude. Secondly, Charlize is going to have to scramble to make it up to this high-bidder woman. Sure, it’s nice to make out with Charlize (I guess, but whatever, she seems like an ice princess to me), and it would be nice to go on a safari and see the World Cup and everything, but I’m sure that woman was really looking forward to meeting Mandela. That would be the only reason I would ever bid on such an item.
Speaking of Mandela, did anyone watch Endgame on PBS this past weekend? Between Jonny Lee Miller (as Michael Young) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (as President Mbeki), I was getting hot flashes as I learned about the secret talks to end apartheid. Good stuff!
I just auctioned off Brad Pitt’s Newsboy hat without permission this morning. Oooops!
There must have been some kind of misunderstanding. Not even the stupidest person would auction of someone else without their knowledge and permission, I don’t see Charlize as being that dumb.
I think Charlize is just the very famous face of a giant organisational mishap. C’mon, it’s not like she’s the one responsible for buying the tickets to the world cup or booking the flights in this package, so she sure as hell isn’t the one whose job it was to ask for Mr. Mandela’s agreement on this matter. She was just supposed to present and auction off the package. Somebody behind the scenes screwed up big on this one, maybe even thinking they’d get away with telling Charlize she could go ahead, it was all cleared, when the request hadn’t even reached Mandela’s publicist. There’s no way this mess is her fault – like the rep for Mandela seems to think now – she is just the one taking the brunt because she’s the celeb involved.
I agree with the commentators- there is no way she just did this without asking. I think it was someone else’s mistake, no one would auction off a meet and greet with a president of another country without thinking they had permission.
I’m in total agreement with Anna. There’s no way that Charlize Theron had anything to do with the auction packages. I’ve worked for non-profits and these things are all put together by staffers. Charlize just had the misfortune of being the auctioneer in this case.
K, I’m glad the story of Endgame gripped you. Haven’t seen it yet — lived through it, though. Not that the majority of South Africans, white or black, had any clue what was going on behind closed doors. It was more of a feeling… a new day was dawning.
*Enough politics*
I have to agree about my girl Charlize: This sounds like a very unfortunate misunderstanding. I hope…
If people knew about Mandela, they probably wouldn’t WANT to meet him. Seriously, go to youtube and find the video of him with some tribe in S. Africa, singing “kill the white man”. Yep, this man won a Nobel Peace Prize, while inciting people to racially motivated violence…certainly someone that I’d LOVE to have a chat with! NOT.
Pickelhaube, you know absolutely nothing. I saw some evidence to the fact in other posts. But now you have confirmed it. What Mandela “allegedly” sang more than 30 years ago, has no bearing on the man he has become.
Well, seeing as how Mandela has lived such a charmed, laconic life amongst his countrymen of all races, it’s disturbing to think that someone could develop that attitude ex nihlo.
Maybe his Afrikaaner houseboy took too long to bring his cognac, did anyone ever think about that?
And really, putting him in the hoosegow was based on a national initiative to move towards greater fiscal solvency– as well acting as a tribute to brave souls who constructed the building. Oh, that’s a beautiful thing, why not? I believe that that is called ‘support’. And don’t forget: South Africa has been driven by the spirit of grace and a sustained felicity to all of those living in its warm embrace for…pretty much forever.
Who doesn’t love the sun?
88Modesty88-
Well, would you be so forgiving and willing to believe the best of a white man who was a supposed “reformed” racist? I doubt it. The fact remains that we routinely condemn people for things that they did in their pasts, so why is Mandela getting a pass on this? Perhaps it is YOU who needs to read up on this subject, as you seem to know nothing about it, yet it does not stop you from calling others names. Maybe a little less name-calling and a little more research would do you some good, but I doubt it because you likely wouldn’t believe the truth if it hit you over the head with a 2×4 (or an assegai, if you prefer).
Mama Besser-
I do hope you are being sarcastic, because S. Africa is DEFINITELY not a model of tolerance and racial harmony. It’s actually worse than the big ole racist US of A, which is saying a lot.
Bad nose job and even with it, not a beauty. Pretty at best and her fashion taste blows. That’s your reason this one isn’t a big star. Won an Oscar but doesn’t have it all, because she really isn’t a true beauty. Grace Kelly weeps.
Pickelhaube, I live in South Africa. My ancestors came here in 1670. No detective work needed on MY side.
Pickel, let me translate for 88Modesty. I’m old money.
Twinkletoes, that is unfair. Not everyone who came over here years ago were rich. Slaves were also brought over. Don’t judge. You are mean to me and I did nothing to you.