Jamie Lee Curtis donates $1 million

On By Littum

Jamie Lee Curtis has donated $1 million to a relief fund for communities affected by the ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

“While the fire is still raging and @calfire @losangelesfiredepartment and all the available first responders and agencies involved in fighting fires and saving lives are still working hard and neighbors and friends are coming together to save each other, my husband and I and our children have pledged $1 million from our family foundation to start an endowment fund for our amazing city and state and the amazing people who live and love there,” Curtis wrote on Instagram. “I am in communication with Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass and Senator Schiff about where these funds should be directed to have the greatest impact.”

Curtis spoke about the devastating fires on “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” Wednesday night, calling the natural disaster “fucking knotty” and “a really horrible situation.”

“As you know, where I live is on fire right now. The whole town of Pacific Palisades is on fire. I flew here last night, I was on the plane, started getting texts and it’s fucking crazy, you guys. It’s just a disaster in Southern California,” she said. “Everything: the market I shop at, the schools my kids go to. Many, many, many friends have now lost their homes. So it’s a really terrible situation.”

The donation comes as firefighters and first responders continue to battle a series of wildfires that have wreaked havoc in Southern California. More than 15,000 acres have burned in the Pacific Palisades and Malibu since a fire started Tuesday morning, destroying hundreds of structures and prompting mass evacuations in the area. East of LA, the Eaton fire has burned through more than 10,000 acres, heavily affecting the Altadena and Pasadena areas. A third fire, the Hurst Fire, has burned through more than 700 acres in the upper San Fernando Valley.

As the fires grew Tuesday and Wednesday, the entertainment industry began canceling various events around Los Angeles, including the red carpet premieres of “Unstoppable,” “The Last Showgirl,” “Better Man” and “Wolf Man.” The Critics Choice Awards and AFI Awards Luncheon were both canceled amid the ongoing fires, while Oscar nomination announcements were pushed back two days to accommodate an extended voting window. Filming for various local productions, such as “Fallout” and “Abbott Elementary,” was also halted.

The nonprofit Entertainment Industry Foundation activated Wednesday morning to transfer public donations to frontline works and displaced people.

A nonprofit backed by Hollywood power players is stepping up to help firefighters, first responders and communities affected by the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles and surrounding areas. EIF last managed a fund for the 2023 Maui fires with Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson.