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Celebrities React To Ongoing George Floyd Protests, Give Money To Bail Funds
Seth Rogen, Steve Carrell, Janelle Monáe, and more said on Twitter they donated to a bail fund supporting Minnesota protestors
A number of celebrities showed support for the ongoing protests gripping the U.S. in the wake of Minneapolis man George Floyd's alleged murder at the hands of a white police officer.
A number of actors and musicians showed support for protestors by donating to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, a bail fund that aims to provide financial assistance to imprisoned protestors who cannot afford bail.
Steve Carell, Seth Rogen, Janelle Monáe, Don Cheadle, Kehlani, and Jameela Jamil were among the stars that donated to the fund, sharing the link on Twitter as part of an ongoing chain of matching donations. A number of other celebrities also spoke out about police brutality.
"We need justice for George Floyd. We all witnessed his murder in broad daylight. We’re broken and we’re disgusted. We cannot normalize this pain,” Beyoncé said on Instagram. “I’m not only speaking to people of color, if you’re white, black, brown, or anything in between I’m sure you feel hopeless by the racism going on in America right now.”
“There have been too many times that we’ve seen these violent killings and no consequences. Yes, somebody’s been charged but justice is far from being achieved,” she continued.
"We cannot be silent anymore ... I’ve been going to rallies since Rodney King," Jamie Foxx said in a statement on Instagram, adding he sees "an acceleration of young black men being killed senselessly by police officers and random civilians trying to act like police officers."
"Being in Minnesota for George Floyd Felt like the straw on the camel's back … we have to change policy when it comes to police brutality," Foxx said. Over the weekend, Foxx traveled to Minneapolis to speak at a rally in support of Floyd's family.
“We’re not afraid to stand. We’re not afraid of the moment," Foxx said at the rally, according to local outlet WCCO.
Celebrities like Cheadle — alongside activists like Brittany Packnett Cunningham and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones — will speak with NBC this Tuesday. MSNBC's Trymaine Lee will moderate discussions on race, the ongoing protests roiling the country, and how to heal the current divide.
The conversation will be aired on NBC News NOW, NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal's new streaming service Peacock, and on NBC News’ Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels on Tuesday, June 2 at 8 p.m. ET.
To watch the live stream tonight, go to NBCNews.com/NOW.
Floyd died in police custody on Monday, May 25 following his arrest at the hands of Officer Derek Chauvin and three other police officers. The arrest was captured on a video taken by a bystander, showing Chauvin kneeling forcefully on Floyd's neck while Floyd protests he is unable to breathe.
Floyd was taken away from the scene unresponsive and later pronounced dead. A private autopsy ordered by Floyd's family found that he died of asphyxiation due to neck and back compression and a loss of blood flow to the brain, the Associated Press reported.
Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. All four officers involved in Floyd's arrest have been fired.
For the latest reporting on the George Floyd protests from NBC News and MSNBC’s worldwide team of correspondents, including a live blog with minute-to-minute updates, visit NBCNews.com and NBCBLK.
