Updated: Grimes Garners Hollywood Support

UPDATE April 13, 2014: 

The list of Grimes’ Hollywood supporters continues to grow. The Hill reported in late October that Danny DeVito, Jack Black, Jon Hamm, Nicolas Cage, Jerry Seinfeld, Cameron Diaz, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mike Meyers, James Cameron, Steven Speilberg, and J.J. Abrams all gave the maximum $5,200 to Grimes’ campaign. Chris Rock and Ted Danson contributed $5,000. Actor Ben Stiller gave $2,500, Barbra Streisand and Aaron Sorkin contributed $1,000, while Woody Allen and Leonard Nimoy gave $500 each, according to FEC filings.

After a closer look the FEC filings, there are a few more names to add to the list: Nicholas Cage, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Judd Apatow, Rhea Perlman, Mark Burnett, Kate Capshaw, Norman Lear, David Geffen, Ari Emanuel, and Leslie Mann all donating $5,200. Veteran actor Kirk Douglas gave $5,000, Ron Meyer and America Ferrera gave $2,600, Bryan Cranston gave $2,500, Rob Reiner gave $1,250, Renee Zellweger and Kathleen Kennedy gave $1,000, and Nancy Sinatra gave $250.

Stay tuned as more FEC filings become public.

Original post: Sept. 12, 2013

Even though the 2014 elections are more than a year away, Hollywood liberals have already begun fundraising and supporting Democratic candidates. Rising Democratic star and Kentucky Senate candidate, Alison Lundergan Grimes, is the most recent favorite of Hollywood mega-donors.

The Hill reports Dreamworks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg sent an email to prominent Democratic donors stating that there was “no more important election being held next year in this country” and urged donors to support the Kentucky Secretary of State when she travels to California this month.

Katzenberg isn’t the only Hollywood-type to lend his support. Pop star will.i.am. is set to appear at a Grimes fundraiser in coming weeks.

Grimes is running against Republican Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, who is running for a sixth term.

Grimes is the second Democratic candidate to gain Hollywood support for the next election cycle. Newark Mayor Cory Booker (the Democratic candidate in New Jersey’s special election on October 16) has received a large amount of support from the Hollywood community – including fundraisers held by Oprah Winfrey, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and Steven Spielberg.

Democratic supporters hope Hollywood’s interest can bring attention and money to the uphill battle of defeating one of the longest-serving Senators currently in the Senate chamber.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon To Co-Host Fundraiser for Cory Booker

Actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are co-hosting a fundraiser for New Jersey Senate hopeful Cory Booker, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The fundraiser will take place Sept. 23 at host Ron Burkle’s house. Ticket prices range from $1,000 – $10,000 a piece.

Joining the fundraising duo, who previously co-hosted a fundraiser for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, will be Hollywood Democratic heavyweights J.J. Abrams and his wife Katie McGrath, Jennifer Garner, Michael Eisner, Troy Carter, WME co-CEO Patrick Whitesell, talent agency head Bob Gersh, Disney exec Sean Bailey, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos and former US Ambassador Nicole Avant, according to THR. Also joining the co-hosts is producer Jerry Weintraub who previously hosted a fundraiser at his house in late April.

This is the latest fundraiser and wave of Hollywood support for Booker, who recently won the Democratic primary in a landslide victory.

Ivanka Trump hosted a fundraiser in July and Oprah Winfrey hosted a fundraiser in early August. Since declaring his candidacy, the Newark Mayor has gained the public support of actresses Kate Mara and Eva Longoria.

Booker will face Republican Steve Lonegan in the special election on October 16, 2013. The seat was previously held by Democrat Sen. Frank Lautenberg who died in June at the age of 89.

Hollywood ‘Demands A Plan’ On Gun Control

Dozens of Hollywood celebrities star in a new video in support for gun control for the campaign “Demand A Plan” that is sponsored by Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Some of the celebrities include: Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Aniston, Beyonce, Paul Rudd, Courtney Cox, Jamie Foxx, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Amy Poehler, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Alba, Will Ferrell, Jennifer Garner, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Rock, Selena Gomez, Conan O’Brien, Carmelo Anthony and more.

The video comes one week after the Newtown school shootings that left 27 people dead, including 20 children.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns was cofounded in 2006 by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. Their website states that the group is a bipartisan coalition of 800 mayors throughout the country that advocate for the prevention of gun violence.

Obama Has 16-1 Hollywood Fundraising Advantage

As of Oct. 28, President Obama has managed to out-raise Mitt Romney in Hollywood donations at a rate of 16-1, reports TheWrap.com.

A total of 208 “celebrity” donors have given $712,874 to the Obama campaign compared to 15 donors who have given $46,500 to the Romney campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, an organization that tracks donations.

The list of actors, directors and producers that donated least $5,000 include: Cameron Crowe, Will Ferrell, Ron Howard, Scarlett Johansson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Eddie Murphy, George Clooney, J.J. Abrams, Ellen DeGeneres, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Brian Grazer, Adrian Grenier, Tom Hanks, Mariska Hargitay, Will Smith, Aaron Sorkin, Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, Quentin Tarantino, Marlo Thomas, Sam Waterston, Ben Stiller, Oprah Winfrey, Kirk Douglas, Hilary Duff, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jack Black, Anne Hathaway, Bette Midler, Tobey Maguire and Rita Wilson.

Other celebrities who donated less than $5,000 include Susan Sarandon, Zach Braff, David Arquette, Martin Scorsese, Don Cheadle and Chevy Chase.

The website also reports that many in the music industry have given $5,000, including Don Henley, Gwen Stefani and Randy Newman – as well as many more who have contributed lesser amounts.

The list also includes authors, athletes and individuals in the fashion industry. This list consists of author Steven King, NBA players Vince Carter, Carmelo Anthony and former NBA player Magic Johnson, designer Michael Kors and model Christie Brinkley.

Obama also has a long list of ‘bundlers’ who collect funds from friends, family and associates and then contribute the funds in one large gift.

Some of those that top the list from the industry include Dreamworks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, Harvey Weinstein, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and Ron and Kelly Meyer as well as actors Wendell Pierce, Tyler Perry and Eva Longoria.

Many of these individuals collected $500,000 according to the Center for Responsible Politics.

The Romney campaign’s list isn’t as prominent, but still has a few big Hollywood names including  Scott Baio, Jerry Bruckheimer, Neil Simon, Orson Bean, John O’Hurley, Jack Hanna as well as Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

 

 

Jennifer Garner: Feelings on Obama ‘Complicated’

Bizuayehu Tesfaye / Associated Press

Actress Jennifer Garner shares the same feelings as husband Ben Affleck when it comes to President Obama, she told POLITICO.

“My feelings are complicated as well, but I look forward to seeing what he does in the next four years,” Garner said.

Although her feelings may be mixed on the president, Garner said she’s still “an Obama supporter” and wants to see him reelected.

The actress was in Washington D.C. as an artist ambassador for Save the Children. She joined former Sen. Chris Dodd and Sen. Bob Casey in a discussion of the well-being of children in the country. The country averaged a C-.

“This report card shows that we, the wealthiest nation in the world, are not fulfilling our obligation to the future,” she said at the event. “There’s so much work that is needed.”

Elizabeth Warren Brings in Big Cash at Hollywood Fundraiser

Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren raked in big cash and names at a fundraiser hosted by actor Ben Affleck.

Warren is running against Republican Sen. Scott Brown. The seat was previously held by Sen. Ted Kennedy before his death in 2009.

The event at J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot production studio in Santa Monica on Monday was dubbed “A Massachusetts Evening.” Actors Matt Damon and The Office’s John Krasinski were co-hosts of the event, however both Damon and Krasinski were filming on location and couldn’t attend the fundraiser. It drew about 150 Hollywood donors, along with more than 200 individual donations to the Warren senatorial effort, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Celebrities and industry professionals included Affleck’s wife Jennifer Garner, Reese Witherspoon, Zach Braff, Dana Delany, Tobey Maguire, Ed Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz, Alan Horn and Writers Guild president Chris Keyser. Other contributors included Steven Spielberg, Rob Reiner, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Sally Field, Michael King, Harvey Weinstein and Alan Ladd Jr.

The Warren campaign has yet to release the fundraising totals from the event. However, Warren’s fundraisers had set a goal of $250,000 for the evening. Donations were ranging between $1,000 and $1,500 per person.