Leonardo Di Caprio, Hollywood heavyweight and passionate environmentalist, has pledged an incredible £819,000 to support “urgent needs and post-fire recovery efforts” in the wake of the catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires. The philanthropic actor made the announcement through his foundation, Re:wild, which operates a rapid response program to aid in such disasters.
Di Caprio took to Instagram to express his concern, stating: “The Los Angeles wildfires are devastating our city” and explicating that the financial contribution is aimed towards “urgent needs and post fire recovery efforts” Immediate assistance will be channeled to first responders and organizations including the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, California Fire Foundation and the World Central Kitchen that have been instrumental in supporting affected citizens across the metropolis.
The funds from the Oscar laureate, famous for acclaimed roles in epic films such as The Aviator, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Titanic, will further benefit “organisations on the frontlines providing much-needed resources to our first responders and firefighters, and the people, animals and communities who need it most”.
Di Caprio, a three-time Golden Globe winner, remarked that his group, which he co-founded with conservation scientists, stands “uniquely positioned to respond to environmental disasters and emergencies”, underscoring its deep commitment to ecological defence and rehabilitation efforts.
Leonardo Di Caprio’s substantial donation will also support the California Community Foundation’s wildlife recovery fund. The fund recently benefited from a generous $1 million (£819,000) pledge from actress Eva Longoria and her foundation, in partnership with the Latino Community Foundation (LCF), report the Mirror.
Longoria’s contribution came from the $50 million (£41 million) Courage and Civility Award she received from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos in March. She also volunteered with Global Empowerment Mission and visited World Central Kitchen’s Eaton Fire operations on Wednesday.
Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl spent his birthday cooking meals for those displaced by the fires with LA-based charity Feed The Streets. Other high-profile donors include Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis and her family, who committed $1 million (£819,000) to support wildfire victims.
Beyoncé’s BeyGood foundation contributed $2.5 million (£2.05 million) to the relief efforts, amidst speculation about a possible tour or new album announcement delay. Metallica’s All Within My Hands foundation donated $500,000 (£410,000), stating on Instagram that “the disaster upends families and dismantles livelihoods”.
Paris Hilton, Mel Gibson, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, Billy Crystal, Jamie Chung, and Bryan Greenberg are among the celebrities who have seen their homes devastated by wildfires. US socialite Hilton has confirmed that she raised an impressive £800,000 dollars (£656,000) in just 72 hours for the displaced families of LA through her charity 11:11 Media Impact.
She’s now striving to reach the one million dollar mark on social media. Additionally, she generously donated 150,000 dollars (£123,000) to GoFundMe’s Wildfire Relief Fund – the largest donation to date, as confirmed by the organisation to the PA news agency.
Hilton also shared on Instagram that she had fostered a three year old chihuahua “whose family unfortunately had to surrender her after their home was destroyed in the wildfires”. This comes after the reality star and socialite saw her Malibu home “burn to the ground on live TV”.
The wildfire destruction has disrupted many events, with rumours suggesting that the Critics Choice Awards may be postponed for a second time – and there’s even speculation that the Oscars ceremony could be impacted. The Oscars nominations have already been delayed for a second time, with a new date of January 23 confirmed.
Meanwhile, the screening of a new Netflix series featuring the Duchess of Sussex, where she invites friends and famous guests to a California estate, has also been postponed due to the fires.