People get a lot of things wrong about celebs.
While most live lavish lifestyles, that doesn’t mean they don’t give back from time to time.
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There are even a rare few who basically devote their wealth and fame to helping others. These are the ones with hearts of gold.
Got a few names in mind? Here are 10+ celebs who have a solid moral compass. We stan!
1. Taylor Swift
The singer has always gone above and beyond for her fans. Helping those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic was no exception.
Back in March, she donated money to several fans who had expressed their need for help on Twitter.
“Erin, I saw your tweets about the financial and emotional stress you’re under right now and it made me want so badly to help,” she private messaged one fan.
She went on to write how sorry she was to hear about their job situation and donated $3000 to help!
“I loved meeting you in New York and I hope you’re safe and healthy! Your pal, Taylor.” How sweet!
2. Emma Watson
When she’s not entertaining us on screen, the Harry Potter star is helping others.
She was named a UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador for her work in advocating to promote fair trade and organic clothing and helping educate girls in rural Africa.
3. Benedict Cumberbatch
The Oscar-winning actor is a huge advocate for equal pay in Hollywood.
“Equal pay and a place at the table are the central tenets of feminism,” Cumberbatch told Radio Times . “If she’s not paid the same as the men, I’m not doing it.’”
4. Ricky Gervais
Don’t let those savage Golden Globes’ speeches fool you. The comedian has a huge soft spot, especially for animals.
In addition to raising money, he teamed up with the International Animal Rescue organization during the COVID-19 pandemic.
5. Jennifer Lawrence
The Hunger Games actress has such a kind heart. Even after she became famous, she maintained her friendship with Andy Struck, a man with down syndrome.
They shared classes at Louisville, Kentucky middle school.
“We are like best friends,” Andy told the Courier Journal.
“She’s kind… I think she has spirit,” he said .
He is the star’s biggest fan. He keeps movie memorabilia of the star, which he shows off to her whenever she’s in town.
6. Ashton Kutcher
Back when the actor was married to Demi Moore, the pair helped save 6,000 kids from sex trafficking with his organization, Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children.
In 2017, he gave a 15-minute speech on modern-day slavery impacting women and children.
7. George Michael
It wasn’t until the singer passed in 2016 that people learned of his extreme generosity.
“Over the years he gave us millions…” Childline founder Esther Rantzen said. She added that Michael was “adamant that no one knew how he gave to these vulnerable children.”
8. Ian Somerhalder
Protecting animals and wildlife is a huge focus for the Vampire Diaries star and his wife, Nikki Reed.
Ian formed the Ian Somerhalder Foundation to protect the environment and educate youth about important topics, such as fighting against animal cruelty.
9. Zach Galifianakis
The Hangover actor let someone unlikely into his wolfpack: a homeless woman.
He, along with Renée Zellweger, helped Marie “Mimi” Haist get her own apartment. “I really appreciate Zach and Renée for [everything they’ve done],” Mimi said during her own documentary.
10. Leonardo DiCaprio
If you can look past the lavish lifestyle and history of young model girlfriends, fans would see that the actor has the sweetest heart.
In 1998, the A-lister created the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation with the goal of protecting animals and the environment.
11. Nicki Minaj
The rapper is a lot more charitable than you might think. In 2017, she helped several of her Twitter followers with school expenses, including tuition, textbook costs, and so on.
She’s also been secretly sending money to villages in India for years now.
12. Keanu Reeves
The actor funds a lot of cancer research. This is a subject that hits close to him for him since his sister, Kim, was diagnosed with cancer in 1991 . Thankfully, she is now in remission.
This led him to set a foundation that raises money for cancer research and children’s hospitals.
That’s not all.
While working on the set of The Matrix , he heard wind of a set builder who was having financial trouble.
This led him to gift the person a $20,000 Christmas bonus to help them out. Angel!
13. Tom Holland
Whenever he’s not visiting children’s hospitals in his Spider-Man costume , the actor is busy running a charitable organization with his family.
It’s called The Brother’s Trust , and they host several events throughout the year to raise funds for different charities.
14. Amy Poehler
As a successful women in Hollywood, Amy is looking to inspire future leaders of the world.
She founded the Smart Girls organization, which focuses on helping young women use their imagination and intelligence instead of conforming to society and self-deprecation.
15. Dolly Parton
How could you not love Dolly? She’s in her 70s and yet, she’s more progressive than most.
She’s a pioneer of feminism and an LGBTQ ally. She has also been super active in charities, having built her own non-profit organization .
Since 1988, she has helped decrease high school dropout rates in her home county of Sevier.
Most recently, she donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University during the pandemic.
This helped fund Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. Way to go, Dolly!
