PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
Natalie Portman took a flamethrower to the patriarchy. George Clooney admonished what he called the Trump administration’s culture of fear. Emma Gonzalez implored people to vote. And host Jenifer Lewis spared no one, from Melania Trump and Kanye West to Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh. Nothing was off the table at Variety magazine’s Power of Women luncheon Friday in Beverly Hills, almost exactly a year since The New York Times and The New Yorker published accounts from dozens of women alleging sexual misconduct by the once-powerful movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
Portman addressed the underrepresentation of women in all industries and laid out guidelines to incite change, such as donating to Time’s Up, opting against depicting violence against women in films and hiring women for positions they’re not typically considered for.
Beyonce, Jay Z appear at cancer charity event
Beyonce paid homage to a high-profile music executive being honored at a charity event to raise money for cancer research.
The singer’s vocals soared as she performed three ballads including her 2009 smash hit “Halo” and “Ava Maria” after saluting the character of Warner/Chappell Music Publishing CEO Jon Platt at the City of Hope gala near Los Angeles on Thursday night. She took the stage following her husband, Jay Z, who presented Platt with the Spirit of Life award during a charity event that raised more than $6 million.
“Most people lead with their ego, but you lead with your heart,” Beyonce said of Platt, who will be leaving his position at Warner/Chappell to take on the top role at Sony/ATV, the top music publishing company.
“You have touched so many lives, mine included,” she added.
The music executive is known for signing publishing deals with Jay Z, Usher, Kanye West and Snoop Dogg. His roster of songwriters at Warner/ Chappell includes Lil Wayne, Bruno Mars and Timbaland.